PANJIM: The Panjim Police have registered an offence against an assistant professor for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through her social media account.
The First Information Report under section 295 (hurting religious sentiments) of the Indian penal Code (IPC) follows a complaint filed by Rajiv Jha, a resident of Usgao-Ponda alleging that the assistant professor of political science, through her personal Facebook account has been posting controversial comments to hurt religious sentiments.
“She has a habit of posting controversial posts on social media time and again attacking Hindu religion and its culture and tradition… That the said women (woman) is of an obnoxious personality who disguises her lack of manners under the guise of humour and personal freedom of expression and leaves no opportunity under the disguise of freedom of speech to disrespect and spread hatred against Hindu religion,” Jha had alleged in a complaint copy to Cyber Crime Cell and Panjim Police, last month.
The professor, who has received backing from her college amidst demands from certain groups to suspend her, had filed a counter complaint against Jha for criminally intimidating her and outraged her modesty via Facebook posts. The professor also accused him of inciting a lynch mob against her.
Taking cognisance of her complaint, the Porvorim police booked Jha under Sections 504 (insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (outraging modesty of a woman) of the IPC.
A senior officer, on being asked by Herald over the delay in registering the offence, said the police teams were conducting a preliminary enquiry into the respective complaints.
“The enquiry ascertained cognisable offence against persons named in the respective complaint applications, based on which FIRs were registered,” he said.
Both Jha and the professor are likely to be summoned shortly for interrogation.
