After senior journalist of India Today, Rajdeep Sardesai was suspended from his news channel for reporting fake news on 26 January in Delhi that led to violence, the Noida police booked Sardesai along with Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, journalists Mrinal Pande, Vinod K Jose (Caravan) along with group editor of National Herald, Zafar Agha and others for sedition.
An FIR lodged at the Sector-20 police station on Thursday (28 January) stated that they were booked for tweeting and spreading fake news pertaining to the death of a farmer during the tractor rally on 26 January 2021, reports New Indian Express.
“The complaint is being examined and action as per the law is being taken,” said a press statement by the Noida Police.
Earlier a police complaint was raised by Arpit Mishra who is a resident of Noida and in his complaint he said, “As part of a conspiracy, the accused planned riots in the national capital with intention to kill public servants and incite violence….It is known fact that despite provocative activities by rowdy elements and injuries to large number of police personnel, the police force acted with restraint and control the violators with professional efficiency,” the complainant in the FIR says.
The FIR further adds, “The accused in a well-planned manner conspired with each other to spread the wrong information about the death of a farmer in police firing. It was intentionally done to incite riots at large scale and create tension among communities. The riots and tension certainly affect countries along the international border…because of their tweets protestors reached Red Fort and installed their religious and other flags where the national was hoisted,”.
#UPPolice has filed FIR against @ShashiTharoor @sardesairajdeep, Mrinal Pandey & Editors of @thecaravanindia Magazine for spreading #FakeNews & provoking communal Violence.
— Arun Pudur (@arunpudur) January 28, 2021
More rioters arrested under #UAPA
Rajdeep Sardesai is off air. But that's not enough
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) January 28, 2021
There should be a criminal FIR against Rajdeep Sardesai and he should be behind the bars
His fake news was main reason police was attacked on 26th January@CPDelhi @DelhiPolice
The politicians and journalists have been booked under sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (Criminal Intimidation), 505(2) (Statements conducing to public mischief), 124-A (Sedition), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
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