2 arrested for distasteful comments against Union minister Pratap Sarangi on social media

Two persons were arrested in Odisha's Balasore district on Tuesday for allegedly making unsavory remarks against Union minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi on social media, police said. The two were arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the district unit of the BJP's youth wing on Sunday against the distasteful remarks about Sarangi, who is also the Lok Sabha member from Balasore, Inspector in-Charge of Sahadevkhunta Police station K C Palei said. Sahadevkhunta police registered a case the same day and launched an investigation, he said, adding the accused were identified and arrested after a thorough probe.

The arrested persons, Gautam Sahu and Gyanendra Mohanty, both aged around 25 years, posted the remarks against the minister on Facebook, Palei said. Posters carrying a screenshot of the social media post also appeared at some places in Balasore town on Sunday.

The posters read "Help! Our MP is Missing' with a photograph of Sarangi, the Union Minister of State for MSME, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries, police said. The accused have been booked under sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 500 (defamation) and 34 A (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC, they added.