Cartoonist Bala knocks on HC doors

Bala, stated that on October 23 a family had immolated themselves inside the Collectorate. On October 24, he had posted a caricature in his personal Facebook page in which three persons were shown without clothes and covering their private parts with rupee notes even as a child is burning in front of them. Based on the caricature, Tirunelveli Collector had filed a complaint against him and a case was filed against him.

Section 67 of IT Act is a non-cognisable offence and Inspector of Crime Branch had no power to arrest him without prior permission from the court. Also the Inspector has no jurisdiction to register the case under section 501 of the IPC as the petitioner is from Chennai. 

As the Tirunelveli Collector had filed the complaints with mala fide intentions, the case should be quashed, prayed the petitioner.