Vasai Lawyer Booked For Sharing YouTuber Dhruv Rathee’s Video On PM Modi Ahead Of Elections (image-Facebook/AdeshBansode)

Vasai’s Manicpur police have filed an FIR against a lawyer for sharing YouTuber Dhruv Rathee’s video titled ‘Mind of a Dictator’ on the Bar Association of Vasai WhatsApp group ahead of the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections held on May 20.

The case was registered after another lawyer, Narayan Walinjkar, who was also part of the WhatsApp group, filed a complaint against Adesh Bansode for posting the video criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by a message in Marathi, “Do watch the video before going to vote.”

The Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have lodged a suo motu complaint, and an FIR was registered on May 21. The FIR states that the video shared by the accused and its message “make a false statement about Lok Sabha election candidates and tries to influence voters.” It also states that sharing the video violated the code of conduct and prohibitory orders issued by MBVV police on May 18 and 20.

Calling it “illegal,” Bansode, the    secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, alleged that the move is an attempt to suppress people’s voices.

He said, “The complainant must approach the magistrate under Section 195 of the CrPC.” The lawyer stated that the police had acted hurriedly without first approaching the magistrate under Section 195 of the CrPC, and hence did not follow the legal procedure before filing the FIR under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“The said video was watched, liked, and shared by crores of internet users. Would the police be lodging a case against all of them? I am protesting against the illegal FIR,” Bansode said, as quoted by the Indian Express.