'Grateful to SC for scrapping Section 66A', says student arrested for remark on Azam Khan

A Class 11 student who was arrested for posting an 'objectionable' comment attributed to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan on Tuesday said he was grateful to the Supreme Court for scrapping Section 66A of the Information Technology Act.

"I am very happy and grateful to the Supreme Court for scrapping it. I was under a lot of mental stress due to this. I am so happy and grateful for this. I wish that the other sections on me are also removed," the boy told ANI.

"I would like to tell everyone that they should be careful of whatever they post on social media," he added.

The Supreme Court had earlier on Friday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government seeking an explanation on the circumstances leading to the arrest of the student from Bareilly.

The student had been sent to jail by a local court in Bareilly last week after being booked under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act and under IPC Sections 153 A, 504 and 506 for the offence.

An FIR in this case was lodged at Rampur's Ganj Police Station by Azam Khan's media in-charge Fashat Ali.