Disparaging comments posted by a Class 11 student of a prominent school against the vice-principal and the school on Google Maps have landed the parents and the student in trouble.
The student had commented: “The school building is alright, but the administration and all that kind of stuff simply sucks to be frank, the vice-principal is an ogler.” The comment was tagged on Google Maps at the spot showing the school. After tagging the comment, the student had also intimated some of his friends. Planted in December, the news spread among students and everybody started searching for the tag in Google Maps.
When the comment was noticed, the vice-principal filed a complaint at the office of the city police commissioner demanding its removal from the site and to identify the culprit and take appropriate action.
City police commissioner G. Sparjan Kumar, who is also heading the cyber cell, sent an official request on December 26 to the legal investigation cell of Google Inc. in California seeking details of the computer from which the defaming comment was posted. The reply from Google came the next day with details of the computer. The police interrogated the father of the student on Tuesday, said a police source adding that the boy’s prank has got his father in a fix.
The crime is punishable by three years of imprisonment and a fine of `1 lakh but if the vice-principal withdraws the complaint, the police will not pursue the matter, a police officer said. “It is a lesson for all parents who give absolute freedom to children to use the Internet,” said the official. “No Internet crimes will go undetected and the culprits can be nabbed within days, provided there is a complaint,” he added.