MP: 3 journalists booked over story on elderly man taken to hospital on cart

The in-charge of Community health Centre, Lahar, filed a complaint with police saying that a probe has found the journalists’ claim to be false

Updated on: Aug 21, 2022, 11:27:51 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Three journalists in Madhya Pradesh have been booked over a story on a family taking an elderly man to a hospital on a pushcart after a probe found their claim to be false, said police.

The journalists claimed that no ambulance arrived and the family was not getting benefits of government schemes.

The journalists Kunjbihari Kaurav, NK Bhatele and Anil Sharma, who work as contributors for national and regional news channels, have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 420 (forgery) and 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity or ill hatred) between classes, said Shailendra Chauhan, superintendent of police, Bhind.

The journalists on Friday posted videos and photos of Gyaras Prasad Vishwakarma of Daboh with a story that he was taken to hospital, which is 5 km away, in a hand cart by his son Harkishan Vishwakaram. They also claimed that no ambulance arrived and the family was not getting benefits of government schemes.

District collector Satish Kumar ordered a probe. Community health Centre, Lahar, in-charge Dr Rajeev Kaurav filed a complaint with police saying in the probe it was found that the family didn’t contact any ambulance and they were getting all the benefits of the government schemes.

No arrest has been made so far. All the three journalists claimed that they were implicated in a false case by administration. “We showed the truth only,” they added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More