KOCHI: A Mulakkulam native has landed in trouble after he allegedly circulated his neighbour’s photograph on WhatsApp claiming that he was arrested in a narcotic case. The Piravom police have registered a case based on a complaint by Amal Biju of Mulakkulam naming his neighbour Roy John as the accused. The police launched the probe following a directive from the Piravom Judicial First Class Magistrate Court.
“The accused held grudges against Amal’s father and was desperate for revenge. On October 16, the police checked Amal as part of a routine investigation. Someone took the photograph of Amal standing with the police and somehow it reached Roy’s hands,” said a police officer. Soon, Roy allegedly edited the photograph by adding a footnote stating that Amal was held in a ganja seizure case. “The photograph was later sent through WhatsApp to people in the locality and in common groups. When Amal saw the picture, he approached the court,” said the officer.
According to the police, the accused used a SIM card taken using his wife’s identity card for the act. A case has been registered under Section 67 of the IT Act for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form and Section 120 (o) of the Kerala Police Act for causing a nuisance through any means of communication.
The accused will be summoned for interrogation
“We have charged a non-bailable offence against the accused person. We are looking to recover the mobile phone used for the act. It would then be sent for forensic analysis. The WhatsApp content in the mobile phone also needs to be recovered,” the police official said.
After collecting evidence, a decision on arresting Roy will be taken. A report in the case will be filed before the court soon, said the police.