The Maharashtra Police have booked a 14-year-old Muslim boy in the Ashti town of Beed district over a social media post glorifying Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The boy was charged under provisions of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to acts intended to outrage religious feelings and statements conducing to public mischief.
“A complaint was received in connection [to the post], based on which an offence was registered at the Ashti Police Station.” Beed Superintendent of Police Nandkumar Thakur told PTI news agency. “After that, some local pro-Hindutva organisations gave a call for a bandh.”
The police claimed that after realising that his post had led to communal tension in the town, the boy, who is in Mumbai, had deleted the message and had also uploaded a video apologising if his actions had hurt anyone.
“The boy will be detained when he returns to the town and produced before the child welfare committee for a remand in a correction facility meant for children,” Thakur said.
The posts shared images of 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb along with audio messages. The Hindutva groups claimed that the audio messages were offensive to Hindu sentiments.
At least 41 people, including five minors, were taken into custody in Kolhapur after a protest over social media posts turned violent.
