Yahya Hallare
Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal

Bhatkal, May 28: Waqas Barmavar, who was taken into custody by the Bangalore crime branch police for allegedly circulating an MMS that ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was released on Monday May 26 evening after police failed to find any evidence against him. All charges against him have been dropped.

Waqas (25), a member of Bhatkal unit of Aam Aadmi Party, along with four others from Bhatkal was detained by the Bangalore crime branch police on Saturday May 24 for circulating an MMS that showed Modi on a 'funeral pyre' with the caption 'Ab ki Baar Antim Sanskaar'. The message, which was doing the rounds in WhatsApp, was received by a Belgaum-based RSS activist who complained to the police.

While four were released after questioning, Waqas was arrested and handed over to Belgaum police for further investigation.

It is learnt that the Belgaum police found no substantial evidence against Waqas, and therefore dropped all charges against him. He was handed over to his family on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Jayant Tinaikar, the RSS activist who filed the complaint, alleged that the police had acted under political pressure. Belgaum superintendent of police Chandragupta, however, asserted that Tinaikar had given the wrong mobile number while filing the complaint and that there was no evidence against Waqas

Chandragupta said that mobile phone records show that Waqas was just one of the many receivers of the anti-Modi MMS, and that it did not originate from his phone. He also said that Waqas was not arrested but picked for questioning.

Nevetheless, the police are continuing their investigation to find out the origin of the anti-Modi MMS. Cyber crime experts' teams have been formed to get to the root of the matter, sources said.

Bhatkal: Anti-Modi MMS - AAP member arrested, four youths detained by Bangalore police