Fatehabad, Haryana: Journalist arrested on criticism of BJP MLA’s son, SC-ST Act invoked

In Haryana, a Fatehabad-based journalist Jaspal Singh was arrested on expenses of spreading false information to ‘defame’ a neighborhood BJP MLA Lakshman Napa, in addition to violating the SC-ST act and the IT act. The arrest got here after the son of the MLA filed a criticism towards Singh, accusing him of deliberately spreading false details about his father.

Sumit Kumar, the son of Ratia BJP MLA had lodged a police criticism towards Singh blaming him for defaming his father via varied WhatsApp teams and different social media platforms like Facebook. Kumar alleged that Jaspal Singh had posted the information in varied WhatsApp teams and Facebook relating to his father’s identify showing in a playing case lodged on March 16.

Several journalist our bodies on Sunday condemned Jaspal’s arrest. The journalist, Jaspal Singh, was produced earlier than a court docket in Ratia on Sunday and was despatched to judicial custody. Many journalists from Haryana met Fatehabad deputy commissioner Jagdish Sharma on Saturday and submitted a memorandum to him. In the memorandum, the journalists mentioned Singh was picked from his dwelling and referred to as it an assault on journalism and an try and subdue impartial voices.

The police detained the Fatehabad-based TV journalist Jaspal Singh after an FIR was lodged beneath Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Sections 384 (extortion) and 500 (defamation) of the IPC and varied sections of the SC/ST Act on the criticism of BJP MLA from Ratia Lakshman Napa’s son Sumit Kumar.

Kumar mentioned within the FIR that another journalist had allegedly posted faulty issues on a WhatsApp group including ‘this journalist stated that they were not taking care of him’. The MLA’s son additional alleged that “makes an attempt had been being made to defame their political picture as a result of Napa belongs to the Scheduled Caste group.

Journalists have termed the allegations false and have sought the withdrawal of the FIR. The nationwide government of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), which met in Chandigarh on Saturday and Sunday, has additionally taken be aware of Singh’s arrest. IJU General Secretary and former president of Chandigarh Press Club Balwinder Singh mentioned: “It is unfortunate that FIRs have been lodged against many journalists during the past few years. All such cases should be withdrawn without any delay.”

The expenses towards Singh beneath the SC-ST and IT acts have additionally been met with criticism. OpIndia has reported a number of circumstances the place the SC-ST act has been used indiscriminately towards individuals. Notably, the SC has additionally opined {that a} criticism can’t be registered beneath the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act simply because the complainant is a member of the SC/ST group. The offence in query have to be directed in direction of the caste of the person.