A Delhi court has directed the city police to lodge an FIR over a morphed video that attempts to show chief minister Arvind Kejriwal singing an obscene song, after a complainant contended that the tone and tenor of the video was an attempt to tarnish the CM’s image and reputation.
Metropolitan Magistrate Kishor Kumar on Friday told the Station House Officer (SHO) of Paschim Vihar police station to take action within a week.
“In the video in question, the tone and manner of the song is not only lowering the reputation of the constitutionally elected chief minister but the same is also addressing public/voters in abusive manner who have exercised their constitutional/ electoral rights while voting for Aam Aadmi Party for the purpose of electing Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister of Delhi,” the court said in its order.
Lawyer and social activist Amit Sahni had moved the petition on March 3 in which he said that after the video was uploaded on YouTube soon after the results of Delhi assembly elections on February 12, 2020.
In its action taken report (ATR), the police said that they had not found anything obscene in the videos and no cognisable offence was made out to register an FIR.
{{/usCountry}}In its action taken report (ATR), the police said that they had not found anything obscene in the videos and no cognisable offence was made out to register an FIR.
{{/usCountry}}In its order of September 24, however, the court disagreed with the police’s assessment. “I find there is prima facie cognisable case having been disclosed by the complainant on the basis of the CD in question in which Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister of Delhi is shown singing ....under Section 294 (obscene acts and songs) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) read with 67 (lascivious content) of the Information Technology Act,” the judge said while directing the police to file the compliance report by December 2.
The Delhi government did not respond to requests for comment.
Sahni said that the abusive content was being circulated to public at large, which would create a negative impact on kids who were unable to understand the manner in which the video was morphed.
“The video was uploaded on February 12, 2020, and the result of Delhi Vidhan Sabha Election was announced on January 11, 2020, with the sole object of degrading the constitutionally elected chief minister,” the complaint read.