Open 'arrest raj' in Maharashtra; cops pick up Sameet Thakkar for tweeting on Uddhav & son

Even as the Mumbai Police continues to target the Republic Media Network and issue summons to its employees whilst expanding the scope of its witch-hunt beyond the baseless fraud TRP case, it has come to light that the crackdown on questioning the government in the state is widening to other civilians, with people who have criticised the Maharashtra government, CM Uddhav Thackeray and his Minister son Aaditya Thackeray.

On July 2, Mumbai Police had filed FIRs against Sameet Thakkar at Mumbai's VP Road police station and in Nagpur for allegedly making objectionable comments against Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut on social media. Thakkar had then approached the Bombay High Court to seek cancellation of the FIR and avoid arrest. The Bombay HC had ordered Thakkar to record his statement. Thakkar compiled with the court's direction but then escaped the VP Road police station citing fear of arrest by the cyber cell. The court asked Thakkar to visit the police station again on October 16 which he didn't. He has now been arrested.

On August 8, another social media user - Sunaina Holey - was arrested despite being out on bail. Holey, a 38-year-old woman, was arrested by Mumbai cyber police for allegedly sharing a morphed picture of CM Uddhav. She was booked under IPC sections 505(2) and 153(A).

READ | Congress' Udit Raj targets Arnab Goswami over TRP Case, asks 'Is BARC wrong?'

Similarly, on October 16, the Mumbai Police’s arrested advocate Vibhor Anand for allegedly spreading 'fake news' in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput and talent manager Disha Salian's death. He was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act). 

These actions by Mumbai Police come amid its shocking and blatant moves to target Republic Media Network that have sparked outrage across the entire country, inviting the ire of politicians, lawyers, police forces from other states and others, and making a mockery of the condition of press freedom in MVA-ruled Maharashtra. 

READ | S Gurumurthy slams FIR against Republic editorial team; asks 'Sharad Pawar to take note'

Mumbai police's witch-hunt

Meanwhile, targetting the Republic Media Network, Mumbai Police filed an FIR on Friday, naming top editors of the Network, editorial staff and newsroom in charge - invoking Section 3(1) - a 1922 law - for incitement to disaffection among members of the Police Force and defaming Mumbai Police - under sections 500 and 34 of IPC. The FIR was filed after the network aired a news segment that voiced several police officers expressing discontent with the continued targetting of Republic in the alleged TRP scam.

Apart from this, Mumbai Police asked Republic Media Network CFO Sundaram to submit details of every transaction and detail of every journalist with the Network - which effectively includes costs of coffee vending machine, air-conditioning equipment, furniture, etc. Police have also questioned Republic Media Network's top management and editors for over 100 hours.

READ | Arnab Goswami roars 'we'll win & win big' as Param Bir deploys 1922 law to target Republic

Commissioner Param Bir Singh had held a press conference to share details of an alleged 'TRP scam' into which the police were probing - naming Republic TV and two Marathi channels - Fakht Marathi and Box Cinema. While Singh named Republic TV, neither the FIR, remand copy nor the arrested individuals' statements mention the channel, instead naming India Today. Republic has sent a legal notice to Param Bir Singh seeking an unconditional apology and Rs 200 crore in damages. 

READ | Himanta Biswa Sarma condemns Param Bir-led witch-hunt on Republic; 'public is in anger'