Four Wikipedia editors booked for not taking down objectionable content on Sambhaji Maharaj

Mumbai: Maharashtra Cyber has registered a case against at least four editors of Wikipedia for not taking down “objectionable” content on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the open source encyclopedia, officials said on Friday.

The nodal agency had sent a notice to the California-based Wikimedia Foundation, requesting the removal of the content from Wikipedia. The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization that hosts Wikipedia.

Maharashtra Cyber agency had also mentioned in the notice that the Wikipedia content was inaccurate and could potentially lead to a law-and-order situation in the state as Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is highly revered in India.

The information posted on Wikipedia might also lead to unrest among his followers, the notice had mentioned.

As there was no reply from Wikimedia about taking down the content, the Maharashtra Cyber has registered a case against at least four editors of Wikipedia under relevant sections of the IT Act, he said.

Wikipedia is a free-content online encyclopedia, written and maintained by a community of volunteers through open collaboration. Some specific persons can upload content on this platform, he said.

The objections have come against the backdrop of the recently released Hindi film “Chhaava”, based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj.