Police have registered a case against two journalists based in Jaipur on charges of circulating rumours through their reports on an alleged episode of phone tapping of the Congress MLAs, who were shifted to Jaisalmer during the political crisis two months ago. The turmoil ended with the Congress government winning a confidence vote in the Assembly on August 14.
The First Information Report, registered in the Vidhayakpuri police station here, has named Lokendra Singh, who runs an independent new agency, and Sharat Kumar, State Editor of a television news channel, as the accused. Mr. Singh's news agency also has the contract for news coverage of Sachin Pilot, who was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee president during the crisis.
The case has been registered on the complaint of an officer of the cybercrime police station, who said that the allegations of phone tapping were wrong and the publicising of “false information” through social media and news channel, also followed later by some newspapers, amounted to an offence involving the intent to cause fear in the public.
Probe demand by BJP
While the MLAs supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were shifted to a resort near Jaisalmer for protection against the horse-trading attempts, the Pilot camp alleged on August 7 that the phones of some of the legislators were being tapped with the involvement of senior police officers. Though the Police Department denied the allegations, the Opposition BJP had demanded a probe into the episode.
The FIR, registered about two months after the incident, has booked the two journalists under Sections 505(1)(b) (circulating report with intent to cause fear or alarm), 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code as well as Section 76 (confiscation of computer on contravention of law) of the Information Technology Act.
Mr. Singh told The Hindu on Wednesday that the police recorded his statement in connection with the incident at Mr. Pilot’s residence on August 20. “After the registration of the FIR, I have now been summoned for questioning at the police station on Thursday. Police have asked me to bring along my mobile phone and computer which I use for my professional services,” he stated.
‘Repressive measures’
BJP State president Satish Poonia said the criminal case had depicted “repressive measures” of the Gehlot government against the fourth pillar of democracy. “The underlying reason lies in the voice raised by journalists in support of underprivileged sections and helpless women,” he stated.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has termed the case an attack on freedom of speech and the journalists’ right to privacy. PUCL-Rajasthan president Kavita Srivastava demanded that the government close the FIR, come clean on phone tapping and ensure that the political and bureaucratic executive did not misuse their position.
