Complaint against news portal for defamatory article against governor

A police complaint has been filed with the cyber cell of the Mumbai Police against a news portal for publishing news that Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Published on: May 15, 2020, 00:13:19 IST

By Faisal Malik, Mumbai

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A police complaint has been filed with the cyber cell of the Mumbai Police against a news portal for publishing news that Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari facilitated travel of a model from Maharashtra to Dehradun via Delhi with the help of Army helicopter during lockdown, said Raj Bhavan on Thursday. The complaint was lodged against the portal with the cybercrime police station at Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

The article claimed that the Governor recommended and facilitated travel of a model from Uttarakhand, who was stuck in Maharashtra due to lockdown. She was allegedly first sent to Delhi in an Army helicopter and then taken to her home at Dehradun in an Army vehicle between April 24 and 25.

“The contents of the news are false, fabricated and based on nefarious design with an intent to malign the unblemished image of Hon’ble Governor,” states the statement released by Raj Bhavan.

“Actually, no such recommendation was given by Raj Bhavan, Mumbai in the matter,” said a BKC cyber police officer. A non-cognisable complaint has been registered under sections 500, 501 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation. “We shall be seeking permission from the court for investigating the matter,” the officer added.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Faisal Malik
Faisal Malik is a senior journalist with over two and a half decades of experience covering Maharashtra’s politics, governance and public policy with a deep understanding of the state’s political landscape. He is a Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times and has been associated with its Mumbai edition for more than a decade. Based in Mumbai, Faisal currently covers three major political parties in Maharashtra — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Over the years, he has extensively reported on major political developments, combining investigative insights with in-depth field reporting. His coverage has spanned a wide range of issues, from drought, farmer suicides, major development projects and grassroots challenges to major electoral battles, including three Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections — 2014, 2019 and 2024. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. An avid tea enthusiast, he enjoys reading history, Urdu literature and classical poetry. When away from the newsroom, he writes Urdu poetry inspired by human emotions, life's experiences, meaningful reflections and relationships. An amateur photographer, Faisal is passionate about capturing moments that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.Read More