Man arrested for circulating derogatory video about Shivaji Maharaj

A 25-year-old man was arrested in Mumbai for circulating a derogatory video about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The video was edited from the movie Tanhaji.

MUMBAI: A 25-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly circulating a derogatory video about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

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The video has been edited by compiling a few clips from Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the Vakola police said.

According to the complaint filed by Santacruz East resident Sachin Pathak, on Monday afternoon, he saw accused Shahbaz Khan’s WhatsApp status, featuring actors from the movie playing Shivaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb. He claimed that the status suggested that Shivaji Maharaj feared Aurangzeb and was keen on making peace with the Mughals. The video also had captions that referred to the Maratha king by derogatory names.

The 27-second video that the complainant saved in his phone using screen recording was also submitted to the police along with the complaint. “Shivaji is an ideal for a lot of Hindus as he fiercely protected his people. Some of us regard him as a God-like figure. Seeing this edited version of the movie making fun of Shivaji and false claims regarding his interactions with the Mughals has hurt the sentiments of many people like me,” the complainant told the police.

The police booked the accused under sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code as well as sections of the Information Technology Act.

“The accused was arrested on Tuesday and produced in court. He will be in police custody for a day,” an official said.