Cartoonist arrested for criticising Tamil Nadu CM, officials
Chennai, Nov 5 (IBNS): Tamil Nadu cartoonist Bala G, who is charged with defaming top government functionaries, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, was arrested from Chennai city, media reports said on Sunday.
Collector Sandeep Nanduri told The Hindu that he lodged a complaint with the District Crime Branch a week ago in connection with such "awfully bad representation of the Chief Minister and government officials by the cartoonist."
“On his Facebook page, the cartoonist seemed to have boasted of his actions and I also received such cartoon image through WhatsApp about a week ago. Hence, I personally lodged the complaint with the police for action,” the Collector said.
The cartoonist has been charged with publishing defamatory and obscene material under the penal code and information technology act.
He has been charged with creating cartoons that criticised the Chief Minister, the Tirunelveli Collector and the Tirunelveli City Commissioner of Police and then posting it on social media site Facebook.
The cartoon was reportedly made by Bala in the backdrop of the self-immolation deaths of four in a family at Tirunelveli Collectorate last month allegedly after being victimised by usurers.
Image: Bala G Facebook page
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