The cosmopolitan city Bangalore is paying a price for its fast-track urbanisation. As the rape incidents are still fresh in the memory, an incident of a rape slur on Facebook post has evoked strong protests and led to the arrest of a Kannada freelance writer.
Bangalore police have confirmed that they have arrested VR Bhat on the rape slur on Facebook over a scientific paper on ‘Challenges of Superstitious practices to scientific attitude’ by a Bangalore-based science activist Prabha N Belamangala. In fact, Prabha’s research paper questioned several practices and it was much debated online. But Bhat questioned her article and posted ugly comments on the social networking site which led to widespread protests in Bangalore and some other parts of the State.
Police said Prabha, the State secretary of Bharath Jnana Vijnana Samithi, had filed a complaint against VR Bhat on July 27 and Bhat was arrested on Saturday.
In her complaint Prabha has said that she has posted a comment on how priesthood had its impact on people despite progress in science and technology. According to her compliant, Bhat had posted, “What do you know about ‘Sanatan Dharma’IJ People like you demand the banning of saffron flag whenever you see one. It will be right if women like you is dragged by their hair and raped.”
Based on her complaint, the Chandra layout police had taken up a case under section 66A (punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service) of the Information Technology Act, and sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other sections of the IPC. The police, who were on the lookout for Bhat, arrested him.
Earlier, journalist Gauri lankesh had also filed a complaint in Basavanagudi police station accusing Bhat of posting offensive comments against a particular community. Though the incident took place few days back police arrested Bhat on apparent directions by the Chief Minister. Additional commissioner of police Alok Kumar said Bhat will be slapped with the Goonda Act.saying his threat “amounts to cyber terrorism and inciting people to rape a woman.”
Bharath Gyan Vigyan Samiti joint-secretary Jayakumar HS condemned the incident and said the people are losing the scientific temper. He said, “Arguments and counter arguments are common in a healthy set up. But this incident is an example of increasing attacks waged against science and people with scientific attitude by the communal forces. We strongly condemn this.”
What Post says
What do you know about ‘Sanatan Dharma’IJ People like you demand the banning of saffron flag whenever you see one. It will be right if women like you is dragged by their hair and raped