A Mumbai court has issued process against Bollywood director Ram Gopal Verma for his series of comments against lord Ganesha on twitter, in the run-up to the Ganesh Chaturthi in 2014. After hearing a criminal lodged against RGV by social activist and a corporate communication firm owner Vivek Shetty, Metropolitan Magistrate AD lokhande of 66th Court, Andheri, Mumbai ruled: “After going through the verification statement and enquiry conducted by Cyber Cell Crime Branch, I hold that the complainant has prima facie made out a case against the accused”.
The Magistrate went onto issue the process against RGV under sections 295(A),505 of Indian Penal Code and 66(A) of Information Technology Act. The process is returnable on July 17, 2016.
RGV had put out a series of tweets in the run-up Ganesh festival in the last week of August 2014. “Does lord Ganesha eat much more than other GodsIJ My doubt is becos all the other Gods are either trim or muscular..Did lord Ganesha have a paunch in his childhood too or did it develop in the recovery time of the elephant head operationIJ...” he had tweeted on August 29,2014.
“I would really love to know from lord Ganesha’s devotees a list of what obstacles he removed in all the years they prayed to him..... All concerned pls undrstand tht my questions nd observations on Ganesha are coming from both my innocence nd ignorance on the subject matter,” he had gone to tweet.
RGV’s tweets had sparked an outcry in the social media so much so that the twitterati trolled him all through that day and some of them even questioned his sanity.
Following the social media criticism, a police complaint was registered against him in New Delhi.
On his part, RGV apologised on social media, saying: “All tweets I put on Ganesha were in my usual manner but unintended by me to hurt anyone’s sentiments...but if they did I sincerely apologize”.
Around the same time, Shetty moved the city against RGV’s questionable comments on lord Ganesh.
After recording the verification of the complainant, matter was sent for inquiry under section 202 of the Cr. PC to the Special Cyber Cell of the Mumbai police. “During the inquiry, it is evident that the accused during the Ganpati festival published comments on twitter regarding lord Ganesh, which amounts to outrage of religious feelings of any class,” Magistrate lokhande observed, while prefacing the process order against RGV.
Expressing his happiness over the process issued against RGV, complainant Shetty said: “I will pursue this case to its logical conclusion. I hope this will go a long way in maintaining peace and harmony in society at large”.