MP police arrest student for social media post lampooning CM Chouhan

Nineteen-year-old Abhishek Mishra, a resident of Chhatarpur, was first detained on November 11 and then arrested by cyber cell of Bhopal police on November 12 from a private hostel. Initially, the police kept the news of his arrest a secret. He was bailed out on November 13.

Updated on: Nov 27, 2016, 20:17:57 IST

Hindustan Times | By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Madhya Pradesh police arrested a 19-year-old engineering student for a social media post on demonetisation and attacking chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the BJP on the issue.

A student was arrested by Madhy Pradesh police for social media posts on demonetisation and attacking chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (Representative picture)

Nineteen-year-old Abhishek Mishra, a resident of Chhatarpur, was first detained on November 11 and then arrested by cyber cell of Bhopal police on November 12 from a private hostel. Initially, the police kept the news of his arrest a secret. He was bailed out on November 13.

Police sources said cops seized the student’s laptop, mobile phone, accessed his accounts and deleted the controversial posts.

Calling himself an RTI activist and video maker “in order to spread awareness among people” Abhishek has been a critic of the saffron brigade. The demonetisation issue was his latest topic.

He has 16,000 followers and after his ‘controversial posts’ were deleted the number of his tweets on his Twitter page read 45 on Sunday evening.

Police registered an FIR under section 469 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 66C of Information Technology Act, 2000 against him at the cyber crime cell.

Town inspector cyber cell, Bhopal, Ravikant Dehariya confirmed the arrest.

“Abhishek was involved in posting offensive comments and posts against the chief minister and other important dignitaries. He was also running a website. We arrested him, deleted all the posts from his Facebook and also blocked his website,” he said.

But Dehariya refused to disclose the exact complaint against Abhishek. “The arrest was made after collecting all the evidence against Mishra by the technical wing of cyber cell.”

Despite efforts Abhishek Mishra could not be contacted.

However, Abhishek’s lawyer Ajay Mishra said, “After demonetisation, a newspaper had published news that police had seized money from the car of a BJP leader in Hoshangabad district. According to charges levelled against him, Abhishek had shared a photograph of the news and pasted the picture of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.”

He added, “Someone in the CM’s house saw the post and informed the cyber cell and the police took action against him. The police also seized his laptop, dongle and mobile phone and some other electronic gadgets. Despite repeated requests, police are not providing the copy of the FIR,” he added.

Additional inspector general of cyber cell (crime) Vijay Khatri said the cell was dealing with the case and it is the town inspector (TI) who would give all the details.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.