An FIR was today registered against the Editor-in-Chief and Chief Managing Director (CMD) of a news channel for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion.
Accused of promoting enmity between different religious and ethnic groups, an FIR has been lodged against Sudarshan channel under various sections of IPC, reports PTI. The sections invoked include those dealing with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth and over content to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public and other sections, Sambhal police station SHO, Brijmohan Giri said. The channel is known to be one of the media mouthpieces of persons closely allied to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
Provisions related to deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion and Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2000, have also been invoked, he said.
It has been alleged that the channel had telecast a programme in which its Editor-in-Chief and CMD Suresh Chavhanke dished out objectionable content because of which tension prevailed in the city.The FIR was registered by the SHO when the matter was raised during a meeting of the Peace Committee on April 9, in which prominent citizens pointed out the programme telecast between April 6 to April 8.
When contacted for its response, the channel said that it condemned any attempt to suppress and intimidate the media.
“We condemn any act to suppress and the intimidate the media. To protest this I will reach Sambhal on April 13,” a statement issued by Chavhanke said. In November last year, a former female employee of the RSS-leaning Sudarshan News Network had alleged that Chavhanke raped and molested her besides indulging in criminal intimidation.