India News | Journalist Vinod Dua Moves HC for Quashing of FIR Against Him, Hearing on Wednesday
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Senior journalist Vinod Dua Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of FIR lodged against him on a complaint of a Delhi BJP leader who alleged that the scribe made defamatory statements conducive to public mischief on his youtube show.
New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI) Senior journalist Vinod Dua Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of FIR lodged against him on a complaint of a Delhi BJP leader who alleged that the scribe made defamatory statements conducive to public mischief on his youtube show.
The FIR was lodged on June 4 at Laxmi Nagar Police Station in east Delhi on the complaint of BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar who claimed that “Dua, a known India media personality, committed offence of public nuisance, mischief, printing and engraving matters known to be defamatory, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace”.
The petition in which Dua has also sought investigation into the malicious and malafide activity of the police and an order seeking payment of Rs 1 crore under public law remedy for compensation for violating his fundamental rights, is listed for hearing on Wednesday before Justice Anup J Bhambhani.
The petition claimed that the FIR is a “proof of the political vendetta” and is nothing but an attempt to stifle the independence of free speech guaranteed to the petitioner under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution.
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In his complaint to the Crime Branch, Kumar accused Dua of "spreading fake news" through "The Vinod Dua Show" on YouTube.
Dua was also accused by Kumar of "misreporting" on the Delhi communal violence and stating that the "central government had done nothing to stop the violence".
Kumar has alleged that Dua had called the prime minister "toothless".
Dua contended in his plea that the FIR was bogus as it was lodged after 75 days of the alleged incident and it has been maliciously filed against him on false, bogus and stale claim.
“However, the offences mentioned are serious and any action taken by the respondent (Delhi Police) would be life threatening. The petitioner is a senior citizen with co-morbidities like thalassemia minor with iron deficiency, anaemia, pancytopenia (low red and white blood cell and low platelet count), hypertension and splenomegaly, diabetes and hypothyroidism.
“Therefore, if the police take cognisance of the alleged offences mentioned in the FIR filed against him, it would be severely endangering his life during Covid-19. The alleged FIR filed against the petitioner is being widely circulated each day causing irreparable loss and injury to him and violating his fundamental rights,” the petition, filed through advocates Varun Singh, Deepti Arya, Akshay Dev and Rishabh Rana, said.
Police has lodged FIR for the offences in which the maximum punishment is three years imprisonment.
It said that on March 11, Dua on his YouTube show had spoken about riots that started from February 23 in North East Delhi and the contents of the show were like other national and international news, which highlighted the mishandling of the riots by the police authorities and the Central Government.
“Ironically, all persons who, according to this court in its order dated February 26, should have been punished, have remained unpunished and are completely free from any charges regarding communal hatred. However, the Petitioner who is a Padma Shri and one of the most reputed journalists, is being imputed with the offences of communal hatred, fake news and inciting violence for stating factually verified news regarding the North East Delhi riots,” it said.
The journalist Vinod Dua has blatantly lied or has misinformed his viewers about the series of events. There are also a series of old instances where bizarre and unfounded allegations have been made against the government, police and political leaders. The reporting's full of false content misleading context...(sic)" Kumar has said in his complaint.
A case has been registered under IPC sections 290 (punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), police said. PTI SKV HMP
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)