After shock and anger, spirit of bonhomie in sec 66A detainee's home

Bonhomie replaced an atmosphere of shock and anger in the house of Gulrez Khan alias Vickky, after Supreme Court on Tuesday scrapped a section of the cyber law which provides power to arrest a person for posting allegedly “offensive” content on websites.

There was a mood of celebration at Vickky's house in Bareilly with locals rejoicing the apex court holding Section 66A (sending false and offensive messages through communication services) of the Information Technology Act as “unconstitutional”.

The 18-year-old boy studying in Class 11 was arrested on March 18 and enlarged on bail the next day by a local court.

Vickky accused the media incharge of Azam Khan of engineering his arrest.

The SP leader had himself told reporters that the boy had made "objectionable comments" against him on FB. "Law is enforced with strictness and he has been arrested within 24 hours," he had said, justifying the police action.

Vickky told reporters that the entire family was upset after the incident and even his relatives were afraid of visiting his family.

The boy's father said local residents had been requesting the minister to pardon his son.