(Updates with more details, protest call)Tirunelveli/Chennai (TN), Nov 5 (PTI) A freelancecartoonist was arrested today for a cartoon depicting TamilNadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami allegedly in a distastefulmanner over a recent family suicide related to usury.
Cartoonist G Bala alias Balakrishnan was arrested inChennai by a special Tirunelveli District Crime Branch Policeteam led by an inspector, a police release said.
Bala, 36, was arrested on the basis of a complaint filedby Tiruneveli District Collector Sandeep Nanduri, who was alsocaricatured in the cartoon along with the city police chief.
Earlier, police sources had said the chief minister wasalso depicted allegedly in a distasteful manner in the cartoonwhih was uploaded on a website on October 26.
Protesting the arrest, Chennai Press Club announced ademonstration in the state capital tomorrow.
"G Bala of Chennai has drawn distasteful cartoons aboutTirunelveli District top officials and posted them on socialmedia and in this regard the District Collector had given acomplaint," the release said.
Based on the complaint, a case had been registered onNovember 1 under Indian Penal Code Section 501 (printing orengraving matter known to be defamatory) and under theInformation Technology Act, it said, adding followinginvestigation Bala was arrested.
The cartoon was uploaded on a website on October 26, daysafter a man and his wife set themselves and their two kidsafire at the Tirunelveli Collectorate complex allegedly due toharassment by a money-lender.
While the woman and her two children died on the day ofthe incident on October 23, the man succumbed to injurieslater. The incident drew widespread condemnation frompolitical parties and civil society groups over usury.
Family head Muthu resorted to the extreme step as themoney-lender was harassing him demanding more money despitehim having returned Rs 2.34 lakh, including interest, for aloan of Rs 1.40 lakh, his brother had alleged.
The police had later arrested three persons, includingthe financier and his wife, in connection with the incident.
After the incident, Palaniswami said the state had in2003 enacted a legislation against charging of exorbitantinterest rates by money-lenders.
He had directed the district collectors and policeofficials to act swiftly on any complaint related to usury.
PTI CORR SA VSSC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.