A migrant youth working as a driver in Kuwait was arrested in Thiruvananthapuram for defamatory post against the Tamil Nadu police on the social media. With a lookout circular against him, he was arrested on his arrival from Kuwait on July 30.
C. Sankaralingam, 26, from Sivaganga district, had allegedly posted a derogatory video message on the social media following the death of a woman, who was riding pillion with her husband, when a traffic police inspector tried to intercept the vehicle at Tiruverumbur near Tiruchi in March. The incident took place when police were booking two wheelers riders without helmets.
The Tiruverumbur police on March 21 registered a case against Mr. Sankaralingam after he allegedly posted an abusive and derogatory message on Facebook and WhatsApp against the Police Inspector and the Tamil Nadu Police. In the video message, running a little over five minutes, Mr. Sankaralingam claimed that his anger was against police personnel who were taking bribes.
The case against Mr. Sankaralingam was registered under IPC sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 505 (1) (b) (publishing or circulating any statement, rumour with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public) read with section 45 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. During investigation, the police said it came to light that Sankaralingam hailed from Nedungulam village in Sivaganga and that he was working as a driver in Kuwait. Subsequently, a Look Out Circular was issued by the Tiruchi Rural Police against Sankaralingam so to apprehend him on his return to India. The Chennai City Police had also registered a separate case for the same offence and issued a look out circular, said the sources.
Mr. Sankaralingam was planning to proceed to his native village. After being taken to a local police station, he was arrested and later taken to Chennai. The Tiruchi Rural Police would soon take him into custody for interrogation in connection with the case booked by the Tiruverumbur police, said Ziaul Haque, Superintendent of Police, Tiruchi.
