Punjab: 10-yr-old booked over Facebook photo with 'toy gun'

Amritsar Rural Police booked four people, including a 10-year-old boy and his father, for glorifying gun culture but later cancelled the first information report (FIR) after it was pointed out that the firearm in question was a 'toy gun'.

The case was registered at the Kathunangal Police Station on Wednesday.

The boy's father had posted a photo of his son on the latter's Facebook page in which the child was seen standing with a gun with a bandolier on his shoulder.

The case was registered under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant.

The state government has banned public display of firearms and songs promoting gun culture, including on social media.

According to the FIR, police had registered the FIR against four people -- a man, his minor son, and two others, all of whom were seen in the picture.

Former Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government for registering the FIR, saying the child was only holding a big toy gun in his hands.

"Now, minor children too are being booked for carrying toy guns, this is Bhagwant Mann's Rangla (vibrant) Punjab," Majithia said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar Rural) Swapan Sharma told PTI that an FIR had indeed been registered, but not particularly against the 10-year-old son of the man.

"There was some confusion initially, now everything has been cleared and after a thorough investigation, police was cancelling the FIR against all the persons forthwith," he said.

Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, the boy's father said that he had received a phone call from Kathunangal statation house officer (SHO).

"He referred to the particular photo on my Facebook. I told him that the said photo was of 2015. I said the child was four years old then, now he is 10 years old.

"He told me to delete the photos. But yesterday, I came to know that a case had been registered. I then brought the matter to the notice of DSP Majitha. I told him these were old photos," said the boy's father, a businessman.

Replying to a question from the media, he said, "I have not told my child about the FIR. What will the child go through.."