(Nov. 28, 2012) The Indian government on Wednesday suspended two senior police
officials involved in the arrest of two women over a comment posted on Facebook. The
arrests prompted widespread outrage across the nation and called for an amendment
to information technology laws. “The police officers involved in the arrest of the
two girls have been suspended for acting in haste and their untimely arrests,” said
R.R. Patil, home minister of Maharashtra state. He said a departmental inquiry has
been ordered against superintendent of police Ravindra Shengaonkar, and senior police
inspector Srikant Pingale. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has transferred judge
Ramchandra Bagade, who granted the girls bail on a bond of 15,000 rupees each. People
criticized the judge’s action, saying he should have dismissed the case and set the
women free instead of setting bail. Shaheen Dadha, a 21-year-old college student,
had questioned why India’s commercial capital Mumbai came to a halt for the November
18 funeral of nationalist politician Bal Thackeray. Her friend Renu Srinivasan was
also arrested for adding a “like” to Dahda's post. Both were arrested November 19.
Patil said that if the police had applied their mind properly to the law, this entire
issue could have been avoided. All charges against the girls will also be withdrawn,
he said. In a counter-protest, activists from Thackeray’s Shiv Sena party are observing
a bandh (shut down) in Palghar to protest against the suspension of the two police
officials. Around 500 security personnel have been deployed there.