Pune man held for harassing city woman on social media

The 26-year-old college dropout posted obscene messages on the 18-year-old’s social networking profile

The cyber police station of the Mumbai crime branch arrested a 26-year-old man from Pune on Wednesday for allegedly posting vulgar messages on an 18-year-old woman’s social networking profile.

The accused, identified as Avinash Nale, is a college dropout who works as a welder. According to the police, the Baramati resident is a stranger to the woman, a Mumbai resident, and got in tough with her through the social networking website. He does not have a criminal record, the police added.

On December 1 last year, when Nale posted obscene private messages on her profile, the woman asked him not to send such messages. However, on December 23, when she changed her display picture, he posted explicit comments below the picture.

A day later she approached the cyber police station at Bandra-Kurla Complex, where a FIR was registered under sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

Under the guidance of DCP M Raj Kumar of cyber police station, senior inspector Kalpana Gadekar formed a team that traced Nale. He was arrested and brought to Mumbai.

According to the police, Nale had created a profile on the website, but had not uploaded his photograph. “While using social media people need to understand that they can be arrested for wrongdoings as the police can reach them. Posting explicit comments is a crime,” said API Sarika Thorat assistant investigating officer.