Whatsapp group admin in jail over Modi post

ANOTHER GROUP MEMBER GETS BAIL

A SHOP employee and an admin of a Whatsapp group were arrested in Uttar Kannada for allegedly circulating an offensive message with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Balakrishna Naik, an employee in a shop, was granted bail on Friday. The group admin, businessman Krishna Sannathamma Naik, remains in judicial custody.

The group, Blase Boys, was created by Krishna with nearly 40 members who are residents of Doddabasle area in Uttar Kannada district.

Police in this coastal Karnataka area said they arrested Krishna on Saturday.

They said two group members, identified as sculptor Ganesh Naik and Balakrishna, circulated the message in the group.

Prakash Bunt, the police sub-inspector of Murudeshwar, alleged that a photograph of Modi was morphed and the picture was circulated in the group.

Another group member, Anand Manjunath Naik, filed a police complaint about it.

The police registered a case under the IT Act and first arrested Balakrishna, who posted the message in the group. He was produced in court on Friday and given bail.

The police arrested Krishna on Saturday and produced him in court that remanded him in judicial custody.

Bunt said the police were investigating if the accused persons had created the picture of Modi themselves or forwarded the message in the group.