WhatsApp group admin arrested in India after another member shared a defamatory image

WhatsApp group administrator has been arrested in India for allegedly sharing a defamatory image of the Indian Prime Minister, Narenda Mohdi.

It has been reported that a 30-year-old man who is the admin of a WhatsApp group in India called ‘The Balse Boy’s’ has been arrested. The arrest followed after another member of the group shared a picture of the Indian Prime Minister with obscene content on the group.

This is reported as the first arrest of a WhatsApp group administrator. The complainant, is reported to have told the Indian police that the shared photo had been photo-shopped to make the Prime Minister look ‘obscene and ugly’.

Yogeshwar Ram Mishra, Varanasi District Magistrate and Nitin Tiwari, Senior Superintendent of Police have issued a recent order stating that a WhatsApp group administrator could face a FIR (first information report) if any incorrect information or misleading information was posted on a group.

The person that creates a WhatsApp group is automatically the group administrator, they have the power to add and remove users from the group chat.

In India group administrators should make note that what is posted, even on a private chat, can result in serious consequences, including defamation and hate speech.Â