Picture for representational purpose only.

MUMBAI: A teenager allegedly slashed a 21-year-old Worli resident on the face for objecting to a smiley emoji he had posted on a photograph of the former’s sister on a social networking service . The Agripada police arrested the accused, Mohiuddin Shaikh, and booked him for assault and causing grevious hurt under the Indian Penal Code.

The 18-year-old victim, Imran Khan, who helps his father in his cloth manufacturing business, received seven stitches, said the police. His condition is stable.

The police said that Khan had posted his sister’s photograph on Instagram and Shaikh, who was his follower, posted an smiley emoji on the picture. Khan then posted a comment asking Shaikh why he had put the smiley emoji, to which the latter replied that he should stop behaving childishly and sent him his mobile number. A furious Khan called up Shaikh and threatened him. Khan later told the police that Shaikh had also posted the comment ‘Gandi ladki (dirty girl)’ for his sister’s photograph, which annoyed him.

On Monday evening, when Khan was returning home from college, he called up Shaikh and told him to meet at Byculla . Khan told Shaikh to stop posting messages about his sister. Shaikh refused and slapped Khan. Khan retaliated and they entered into fisticuffs. In a fit of rage, Shaikh picked up a knife from a vada pav stall and slashed Khan on the cheeks and shoulder. Passersby intervened and separated the duo. Policemen from a nearby beat chowky reached the spot and rushed a bleeding Khan to hospital. They arrested Shaikh and later produced him in a local court, where he was granted bail of Rs 15,000.

