Cartoonist Bala G from Tamil Nadu, India. Screenshot from YouTube Video. Freelance cartoonist Bala G was arrested on November 5, 2017 for defaming the Chief Minister of the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The case has stirred up new debates on the boundaries of freedom of speech and silencing of critics. In the morning of November 5, G Balakrishnan (Bala), an independent editorial cartoonist based in Tirunelveli district, was arrested by the Crime Branch wing of Tamil Nadu police for a cartoon he posted on social media criticising the district administration and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. He stands accused of “obscene representation” and defamation and was booked under Sections 67 of Information Technology Act and 501 of the Indian Penal Code. Bala arrested for cartoon of a burning child lying while police, collector, CM, covering their nudity with cash#FreedomOfSpeech #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/RYHpOMLNBs — T M Krishna (@tmkrishna) November 6, 2017 After working for 12 years as a journalist for Tamil weekly Kumudam, Bala became the editor of the digital media platform LinesMedia. With more than 42,000 followers on Facebook, he has a large following, mainly due to his political cartoons, which have come to play a key role in social media debates in Tamil Nadu. In the controversial cartoon, the Chief Minister, the Police Commissioner and the District Collector of the city of Tirunelveli are shown nude, covering their genitals with bundles of cash. They stand motionless, watching as a child's body burns in the foreground. With this caricature, Bala sought to criticize the authorities for failing to prevent the recent death by self-immolation of a family that succumbed to pressure from money-lenders who had raised interest rates to levels that the family could not meet — nearly double the amount they had originally borrowed. The family had filed complaints at the district collectorate, but the police took no action against the moneylender. In an act of desperation, the father took his wife and two young daughters to the office of the district collectorate. Standing outside the office, he poured kerosene on his family and himself, and then set them ablaze. Despite bystander efforts to save them, the man's wife and daughters died from severe burns. The man remains in critical condition. After the incident, the Indian national human rights commission had issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu, the District Collector and Police Superintendent of Tirunelveli to submit a report within four weeks investigating the deaths. The Chief Minister Palaniswami defended his position, arguing that the state already has legislation barring lenders from charging exorbitant interest rates. He says he asked the concerned authorities to act swiftly on complaints. Although the incident drew local media attention, Bala's cartoon has put a national spotlight on the incident and the predatory practices of private money lenders in India. Before his hearing, Bala told the press: The incident made me think that my children were burning. I have no words to express my sorrow, so I drew the cartoon out of rage. It was not aimed at anyone. On November 6, 2017, Monday the Tirunelveli District Court granted bail to Bala. Tonight at 8: cartoonist Bala on bail after his arrest for caricaturing the TN CM. Has humour and dissent become more difficult? — Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) November 6, 2017 The arrest of Bala prompted a lot of anger and discussion in social media and the #standwithCartoonistBala hashtag began trending. Many journalists and common people protested in different parts of the state: No space for satire? Freedom of expression a mockery? Also, what about due process of law?#StandwithCartoonistBala — Deepshi (@talkativegirl29) November 5, 2017 Journalists erect huge banners of Bala’s cartoon in press club pic.twitter.com/ICco0v73qq — Savukku_Shankar (@savukku) November 6, 2017 Agitation condemning bala’s arrest pic.twitter.com/Ldvrd7N1ta — Savukku_Shankar (@savukku) November 6, 2017 Many on social media defended Bala's style of representation: When the rulers behaviors are in bad taste how should one react? Our rulers are really naked in corruption and inefficient. We’ve to call the naked as naked. Bala’s cartoon is exactly what I would have done if I were a cartoonist. We can’t treat our politicians like children — ReasoningTamil (@ReasoningTamil) November 6, 2017 #IndiaWithBala all freedoms have limit except corruption of politicians, bureaucrats etc.