Police probing Facebook threat to NCP leader

Police have begun a probe to ascertain the person responsible for threatening NCP leader Jitendra Awhad through a post on social networking site
Facebook.u00a0A complaint was lodged in this regard at Sangvi police station after NCP party workers brought the matter to Awhad's notice.u00a0

Jitendra Awhad

Ravikant Sambhaji Varpe (28), head of the Media and IT department cell of NCP, came across the objectionable Facebook post on Saturday, which mentioned Awhad's name and threatening him to face the consequences for opposing right-wing organisations. u00a0Varpe, after noticing the post, called Awhad in Mumbai and also sent him the link as well.

Sangvi police then registered a case against unknown persons, and are now working in conjunction with cyber crime cell of the city police to trace the accused.

Meanwhile, Awhad claimed that it is a difficult task to find who is operating the Facebook account, but was sure that police would soon find out who posted the offensive comments.

Police inspector Saifan Mujavar, from Sangvi police station, said, "We have booked unknown persons under the Information Technology Act. We are also taking the help of the Information Technology cell. We are confident that we will soon identify and arrest the persons behind the act.

Dabholkar link
The offensive comments come days after the city's Crime Branch officials filed an affidavit in the Bombay High court ruling out the involvement of any right wing group in the murder of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar.u00a0

Earlier, in the month of August, days after Dabholkar's killing, a right-wing outfit had in an article gloated about Dabholkar's death in its daily mouthpiece.u00a0Taking offense at the statement, Awhad had stated that the state government should ban the organisation.u00a0

Similar incident
A month ago, Pune-based scholar Dr Sadanand More had also received threats on his mobile phone for his remarks about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on a regional news channel in the first week of November. Police had to provide police protection to Dr More after the incident was reported on November 13.

Speaking about the investigation in the case, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shahaji Solunke said, "We have got to know that the call was made from a foreign country. However, the callers are yet to be identified and arrested."u00a0Ut the commission did not accept that as a defence from Hazare's lawyers. u00a0