UP: Journalists protest against fake case filed against scribe
(Sourced from PTI)
Journalists took out a march in Bahraich on Wednesday in protest against the lodging of an alleged fake case against a scribe and demanded suspension of Inspector-in-Charge of Nagar Kotwali in this connection. The protest was organized by the district unit of the Uttar Pradesh Working Journalist Union (UPWJU). Several journalists participated in the protest.
Journalists associated with various media organizations marched from Clock Tower to the collectorate carrying placards with slogans against Inspector in-Charge Madhup Nath Misra and the state's police administration. They also raised slogans for the removal of the inspector. Besides, Misra's suspension, the protesting journalists also demanded that the investigator in the following case be changed.
The representatives of the journalists met the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police and submitted a memorandum and warned that they will sit on an indefinite dharna in case their demands were not met in 24 hours. Union's Bahraich Unit President Virendra Srivastava said that an accredited journalist, Salim Siddiqui, has alleged that Misra lodged a fake case against him this month.
The allegations against Misra say that due to personal problems with Siddiqui, the inspector lodged a fake case against him this month in connection with the encroachment of Waqf land. Srivastava said that a delegation had met the DM and the SP five days ago to lodge a complaint, but since no action was taken, the journalists had to take it to the road.
DM Dinesh Chandra said that the land-related investigation of the case registered against the journalist has been given to the chief revenue officer (CRO). The SP has transferred the case's investigation registered against the journalist from Kotwali Nagar to the Crime Branch. An officer of the Deputy Superintendent of Police-level is investigating the demands raised in the memorandum given by the journalists' organization.
