Police on Wednesday arrested four persons belonging to the news website Pratibimba Live, including editor-in-chief Taufiquddin Ahmad, for allegedly posting a “salacious” news item to “malign” senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma by sharing a photo of him with his minor daughter.
They were arrested in connection with a case registered with Dispur police station on Tuesday under IPC Section 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and Section 14/21 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, Guwahati police commissioner Munna Prasad Gupta said.
Besides Ahmad, Asif Iqbal Hussain, Nazrul Hussain and Nazmul Hoque have been arrested, he said.
Additional DGP (law and order) G.P. Singh, tweeting about the arrest, said: “As a man in public life and father of two daughters, I take strong exception to people maligning the father-daughter bond. Society needs to wake up to such basal thought process amongst a section of people, perhaps for material gain.”
Minister Sarma said his wife had lodged the case. “Since they have no issue against me, they are trying to somehow malign me. My daughter is a minor. It is really very unfortunate,” he said.
