The Cyber Cell of Maharashtra Police on Friday lodged a case against at least 4 editors of Wikipedia for not taking down “objectionable” content on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the open-source encyclopedia.
The agency had earlier sent a notice to the California-based Wikimedia Foundation. The action followed claims by various organisations about the existence of defamatory information related to Sambhaji Maharaj, on Wikipedia, the open source encyclopedia.
The objections came against the backdrop of the recently released Hindi film “Chhava”, based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, PTI reported.
Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Maharashtra Cyber to approach Wikipedia and ask for the removal of the objectionable content about Sambhaji Maharaj.
According to a report by PTI, the notice was sent under section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act and section 168 (Prevention of cognisable offences) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The notice maintained that the Wikipedia content was inaccurate and lacked proper references or sources, inciting communal hatred as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is highly revered in India.
The Maharashtra Cyber stated that “this misinformation is causing unrest among his followers and could potentially lead to the law-and-order situation.
Considering the gravity of the situation and its potential impact, Maharashtra Cyber also directed the Wikimedia Foundation to remove the objectionable content in a timely manner and prevent its re-uploading in the future, the official added.
