BHOPAL: A tribal outfit leader has been arrested in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh for allegedly making an objectionable social media post on the death of CDS General Bipin Rawat and others in a helicopter crash on December 8.
Durgesh Vaskale, who is reportedly associated with the tribal outfit Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), was arrested in Khandwa district and sent to jail.
"He has been booked under IPC Sections 153-A, 153-B, 153-C and 297 and sent to judicial custody. Investigations are underway against those who supported the objectionable social media post," said Khandwa district police superintendent Vivek Singh on Saturday.
In a Facebook post, the tribal outfit leader had linked the December 4 killing of Nagaland civilians in a botched encounter by the Army with the Coonoor helicopter crash.
A ruling BJP MLA Ram Dangore had complained about it to the SP Khandwa subsequently and demanded that the tribal leader be booked for sedition and the National Security Act (NSA) be invoked against him. The Khandwa Police, however, booked him for endangering harmony.
"CDS General Bipin Rawat and other defence personnel who died in the helicopter crash were our nation's pride. Celebrating the tragedy by making offensive social media post will not be tolerated. We've come to know that the same people who posted the objectionable content on social media are also involved in religious conversion and misguiding tribal youths with the false notion of them not being Hindus. Such elements will be identified and dealt with sternly," the BJP MLA from Khandwa district's Pandhana seat Ram Dangore said.