Twitter India head booked after social media platform shows J&K as separate country

Maheshwari was booked under Section 505 (2) of IPC Section 74 of the IT (Amendment) Act 2008 late Monday night.  Twitter quietly withdrew the map after the error created a backlash on social media. The error had appeared on the career section of Twitter’s website under the header ‘Tweep Life’.

Bulandshahr police on Tuesday booked Twitter India managing director Manish Maheshwari after the microblogging platform showed Jammu and Kashmir as a separate country.

Maheshwari was booked under Section 505 (2) of IPC Section 74 of the IT (Amendment) Act 2008 late Monday night.  Twitter quietly withdrew the map after the error created a backlash on social media.

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The error had appeared on the career section of Twitter’s website under the header ‘Tweep Life’.

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"This act of treason has been committed intentionally and action should be taken," NDTV quoted from the complaint filed by Bajrang Dal leader Praveen Bhati.  

This isn’t the first time Twitter has found itself mired in controversy. It is the third time in the past few months when Twitter has displayed India's wrong map on its platform.   IT ministry may issue a show-cause notice to the company for the fresh transgression, and may also recommend action, according to some media reports.. Twitter officials did not comment on the new controversy.   

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Maheshwari was summoned last week by the Uttar Pradesh Police over another FIR in a case connected with a viral video of the attack on an elderly Muslim man in Ghaziabad. In the video, Abdul Shamad Saifi said that he was allegedly beaten by some young men who forced him to chant "Jai Shri Ram" on June 5. The police claimed that the video was shared to incite communal discontent.

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On June 15, the Ghaziabad police had booked Twitter Inc, Twitter Communications India, news website The Wire, journalists Mohammed Zubair and Rana Ayyub, besides Congress leaders Salman Nizami, Maskoor Usmani, Shama Mohamed and writer Saba Naqvi.

The Ghaziabad police had issued notice to Maheshwari, asking him to appear at the Loni Police Station for questioning in the investigation connected with the viral video of the assault on an elderly Muslim man.

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The Karnataka High Court on June 24 granted protection to Maheshwari in an FIR lodged by the Loni Police in Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, Maheshwari has also filed a caveat, seeking an opportunity to present his case before the top court passes any order.

The Uttar Pradesh government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka High Court order.

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