Police arrests a man under the charges of IPC sections 67 and 67-A of the IT Act

MUMBAI: On Thursday the Matunga police had arrested a WhatsApp group administrator belonging to the city of Mumbai, for adding the mobile number of a woman without her consent to a group that is said to be sharing pornonographic content.

Mustaq Ali Shaikh a 24-year-old, who is a carpenter by profession from West Bengal, has been taken into custody by the police, and is arrested under the charges of IPC sections for outraging the modesty of a woman, and under 67 and 67-A of the IT Act.

The investigating officer Maruti Shelke said that the complainant, who is a housewife, said her number was added to a group, ‘Triple XXX’ in September. “She thought it was a prank by friends but found pornographic photos and videos flooding the group. She then lodged a complaint,” said Shelke.

“Just when we were about to send a team to West Bengal, the mobile service provider told us Shaikh was very much in Mumbai. He was arrested from the Sion-Dharavi area. During interrogation, he apologised and said that he may have accidentally added the complainant’s number. He said he thought the number belonged to his brother-in-law and did not remember how he had the complainant’s number. He said he had no intention to hurt anybody and that the group was formed by his friend with no woman members,” said Shelke.

The police have also seized Shaikh’s phone and have sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory for the retrieval of data. 

The maximum punishment Shaikh could get under the IT Act, 2000, is up to five years imprisonment for the first time. If he commits the crime again, he can be sent to jail for up to seven years and fined Rs 10 lakh.