WhatsApp message lands MP minor in police cross-hairs

Vidhisha (Madhya Pradesh), June 19 (IANS) Forwarding a WhatsApp message on his mobile phone landed a Madhya Pradesh youngster in trouble as he was detained by police and released only after prolonged questioning.

Ganjbasoda MLA and Congress leader Nishank Jain told IANS that police raided Khiriakheda village farmer Raju Dangi's house on Sunday evening and whisked away his minor son -- a Class 11 student -- for questioning.

Jain said personnel from three police stations in the area encircled Raju's house as if they had come to apprehend a notorious criminal.

He claimed that the youngster was taken from one police station to another during his detention as if he was a criminal.

He said the youngster had received a message 'pehle 56 ko kha gaye, ab 6 ko' (first they killed 56, and now 6), which he forwarded on his mobile phone.

The message referred to the deaths of 56 persons in connection with the Vyapam scam that had rocked the state and the deaths of six farmers, including five in the June 6 police firing in Mandsaur, in the state.

"No one now has the right to bring out the truth about the state government. Conditions in Madhya Pradesh are worse than even in Kashmir," Jain said.

Leader of the Opposition in Madhya Pradesh assembly Ajay Singh said there was no democracy in the state and that autocracy was in force.

"A minor boy, living in the Lok Sabha constituency of Union Minister Sushma Swaraj, has been treated as a terrorist by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government for forwarding on the social media a message that was in farmers' favour. Is speaking against the state government now considered an act of sedition," the Congress leader asked.

He said such conduct on part of the government against a minor was "shameful".

Civil Lines police station incharge Sanjeev Chaukse said the youngster had been released after questioning.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)