Chhattisgarh journalist held for spreading ‘fake news’ against Congress leaders
An FIR was registered against Nilesh Sharma on Wednesday including under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace)
RAIPUR: A journalist has been arrested for allegedly spreading fake news against ruling Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, police said on Friday.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Nilesh Sharma, the journalist and a political satirist, on Wednesday including under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace). Sharma was arrested a day later.
In his complaint, Khilawan Nishad, who calls himself a Congress worker and a supporter of chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and minister T S Singhdeo, accused Sharma and his news portal of spreading fake news to harm the ruling party. The FIR accused the portal of spreading “negativity and draw a wedge among the leaders and office bearers of Congress”.
Police superintendent (Raipur) Prashant Agarwal said Sharma published fake content without evidence. “We have booked him under the relevant sections for spreading rumours, fake news, and more investigation is going on.”
In October, two journalists of another web portal were arrested for allegedly publishing a “misleading and baseless report” against Congress lawmakers and extorting money from them.
Chhattisgarh government has drafted a proposed law to protect journalists and seeks to make harassment of journalists a cognisable but bailable offence with a jail term of up to one year.