Cartoonist Hemant Malviya Booked for Alleged Objectionable Social Media Posts:

Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : A social media controversy involving cartoonist Hemant Malviya has caused the Madhya Pradesh Police to BYOD an FIR against the content creator. The multi-faceted legal issue stems from a complaint lodged by an RSS-affiliated lawyer, Vinay Joshi, on accusations that Malviya’s portrayal of the RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was lewd and vulgar — personal affronts to the dignity of the aforementioned leaders.

A primary grievance for the police appears to be religious sentiment injury within the bounds of communal harmony disruption. Malviya was subsequently charged under sections 196, 299, and 352 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It is noteworthy that the offending caricatures included PM Modi, Lord Shiva, and RSS icons.

Additional accusations cite violation of the IT Act.

In the eyes of the law, Malviya remains liable under Section 67A of the Information Technology Act dealing with the distribution of explicit sexual content, further inflating the explitive dubitious charge of “having sexual overtones.”

A Brief History of Events

Along with his wedding decoration business, Indore-based Malviya is an active political satirist and cartoonist with a social media-following of 40,000 on Facebook.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Malviya remarked that his cartoons are fictitious and do not aim to depict any particular person. Further, in his defense, he claims that the administration is taking action against him for using satire to challenge the government.

Prior Legal Matters

Malviya has faced legal issues in the past, including in 2022 when Uttarakhand Police charged him for purportedly producing lewd material regarding yoga instructor Ramdev. Later, he was charged again in Indore for purportedly defaming the deceased PM Modi’s mother.

Malviya insists that closure reports have been submitted in the pending criminal matters and disputes any claims regarding statements made about the family of the Prime Minister. He alleges being a victim of criticism from right-wing factions.