Delhi court declines police plea to probe fake news against lawmakers

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) A Delhi court has junked an application moved by the city police seeking permission to ‘investigate’ and ‘unearth real facts’ about the fake news circulated to tarnish the reputation of political leaders.

Delhi Police moved the court after a non-cognizable report was registered on a complaint filed by lawmaker Babul Supriyo against an editor of a social media page for spreading false information regarding him and other leaders.

Metropolitan Magistrate Ashwani Panwar of the Patiala House Court refused to grant permission to the police and called their application ‘premature’. The court said that it needs to be filed by the Public Prosecutor after taking due sanction from the government.

“In case the aggrieved person wants to litigate in his individual capacity then as per Section 199 CrPC, the complaint case has to be filed before the court of Magistrate and after conducting inquiry, if the Magistrate finds it proper he may order the investigation,” the court said.

The application was disposed off on the grounds that neither sanction has been obtained nor any complaint has been preferred by the aggrieved minister or person.

“However, it is clarified that in case the complaint discloses any cognizable offence SHO concerned is at liberty to take appropriate action as per law,” the order stated.

In his complaint, Supriyo stated that anchor and editor of Facebook page named ‘Nirbhik Uttor’, Anindo Choudhari, has been spreading fake news to tarnish his image and the image of other prominent politicians of various political parties regularly.

He alleged that in May 2020, the editor deliberately uploaded various baseless videos targeting him and other politicians by spreading fake news.

–IANS

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