The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested a man for allegedly posting derogatory and obscene remarks on Facebook about women from a prominent political family in Maharashtra. The accused has been identified as Kiran Sitaram Jadhav, a resident of Pundlik Nagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
According to police officials, the complainant — a woman associated with the political party — came across an offensive post during routine social media monitoring. The post originated from a Facebook profile titled ‘Mai Nastik Kiran Jadhav’, and allegedly carried inappropriate comments in Marathi along with the photograph of a political leader and his family. The remarks were reportedly demeaning and targeted at women belonging to the family.
The complaint states that the post was intended to cause shame to the complainant and the concerned woman, thereby insulting them socially and personally. It further alleges that the content was crafted to create hostility among individuals and groups, including those holding constitutional positions.
Acting on the complaint, the Crime Branch registered a case under Sections 79, 294, 353(2), 352 and 55 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with Section 76 of the IT Act, and initiated further investigation.
A technical analysis by the police revealed that the motorcycle visible in the photo posted by the accused carried a registration number linked to the address of Kiran Jadhav. Based on this evidence, the Crime Branch arrested Jadhav and seized his mobile phone, which is suspected to have been used to upload the controversial post.
Investigating officers produced the accused in the Esplanade Court and sought police custody. Crime Branch officials informed the court that they required custody for a detailed probe. Jadhav’s lawyer, Ajay Dubey, stated that the court remanded the accused to police custody till 1 November.
Police told the court that they need to ascertain whether Jadhav posted the content at someone’s behest, due to political hostility, or for some other motive. They also need to investigate how many mobile phones and social media platforms the accused was using, and from which technical accounts the content was disseminated.
Officers added that detailed questioning and technical data analysis are essential to verify these aspects. The investigation is ongoing, and additional sections may be added to the FIR if required.