Ex-CEO of Airtel can’t be arrested
Chennai: The Madras high court extended by four weeks its earlier interim order staying all further proceedings in a criminal case and the operation of the warrant of arrest issued by the chief metropolitan magistrate, Egmore, against Rajiv Rajagopal, former chief executive officer of Bharti Airtel Limited.
Originally, advocate V.S. Suresh lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Bharti Airtel Limited, a service provider, was sending obscene messages, despite his objections. The sub-inspector of police attached to the cyber crime cell conducted an enquiry and filed his final report.
The report, among other things, stated that Bharti Airtel Limited and Rajiv Rajagopal had sent obscene and lascivious messages over their GSM mobile network and this was being circulated for the purpose of the sale of the content.
Since the content, being obscene and lascivious and appealing to prurient interest, would tend to deprave and corrupt persons likely to read and see the matter, the SI stated that the accused were liable to be punished for an offence under section 292 of the IPC.
The CMM in Egmore had, on April 29, 2013 issued a warrant of arrest against the accused.
Aggrieved, Rajiv Rajagopal approached the Madras high court which granted interim stay on an earlier occasion. When the matter came up for hearing on July 12, Justice R. Subbiah extended the operation of the interim order by four more weeks.
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