AI employee booked for online ‘threat’ to colleagues

In July, Jaganatharao and Sharma wrote to the Commissioner of Police, alleging Kiran Pawaskar, a NCP MLC, had influenced their arrest. The police did not respond to the letter until a furore over the arrest of two girls for posting a Facebook comment questioning the bandh after Bal Thackeray’s death.

Six months ago, on Karnik’s complaint, the police had filed an FIR against the duo and arrested them in May.

They got bail from the Sessions Court after 12 days. Karnik has complained that they used abusive language on Facebook and Orkut against politicians Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Praful Patel, a woman colleague, and insulted the national flag.

In his statement to the police, Jaganatharao said Karnik abused and threatened him many times on Facebook over a dispute regarding the AICCA elections. “Karnik registered complaint against us with the Cyber Crime police. After we submitted a letter to the CP, the police took four months to register an FIR against Karnik,” said Jaganatharao, adding that if Karnik was not arrested why were they?