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'What's The Legal Justification?' Netizens React After Delhi Police Search 'The Wire' Editors' Homes; Seize Phones & Laptops
Writer: Snehadri Sarkar
While he is a massive sports fanatic, his interest also lies in mainstream news and nitpicking trending and less talked about everyday issues.
India, 1 Nov 2022 6:11 AM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Snehadri Sarkar
While he is a massive sports fanatic, his interest also lies in mainstream news and nitpicking trending and less talked about everyday issues.
BJP's IT-cell head Amit Malviya, in his official complaint to the cops, stated that the outlet in a news report published on October 10 claimed that he was part of a special group called 'X Check-List on Meta'.
The Delhi Police reportedly searched the residence of two editors of news outlet 'The Wire' in relation to a first information report (FIR) registered against the website based on a complaint by Bhartiya Janat Party's (BJP) IT-cell head Amit Malviya, a senior police officer confirmed on October 31.
The cops allegedly seized electronic devices (laptops and mobiles) from The Wire founder Siddharth Varadarajan's residences, its editor MK Venu and others, reported Hindustan Times.
What's Happening With The Wire?
"No notice has been given to anyone, and no inquiry has taken place on Monday. Further investigation is going on, and necessary steps will be taken," the Delhi Police was quoted as saying.
On October 29, the Delhi Police officially registered an FIR against the news outlet and four of its journalists on a complaint by Malviya alleging them of "forgery" and "cheating".
The Delhi police crime branch has filed the above-mentioned FIR under sections 500 (defamation), 420 (cheating), 469 (forgery for harming reputation), 468 (forgery with the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document as genuine), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A Delhi Police spokesperson also revealed that the four senior journalists, who have been named in the FIR, are MK Venu, Siddharth Varadarajan, Jahnavi Sen and Sidharth Bhatia.
Reaction To This!
The registration of a criminal case and now the use of coercive police searches on the houses of the editors of The Wire deserves wide and unequivocal condemnation. Criminal prosecution is disproportionate to any breach of journalistic ethics or even law in the facts.
— Apar (@apar1984) October 31, 2022
When @thewire_in openly acknowledged error & retracted story where is need for raids & seizing phones, laptops and iPads?
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 31, 2022
Supreme Court has already expressed concern at this wholesale intrusion of privacy
Strength to you @svaradarajan
The Delhi Police is raiding @svaradarajan & @mkvenu1 of @thewire_in on BJP IT cell chief FIR on a story that Wire had done about Facebook Censorship of posts flagged by Amit Malviya. There is absolutely no basis for this FIR & the raids are totally malafide; to harass indep media
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 31, 2022
Having apologised for a story on which they were misled, Editors of @thewire_in deserve better than to be raised for a complaint lodged by the BJP's fake news peddler in chief.
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 31, 2022
This regime is out to silence every voice that questions
In solidarity with @svaradarajan @mkvenu1
All democrats must share our deep concern over the Delhi police's reported "search" of the residences & devices of The Wire's Siddharth Varadarajan and M. K. Venu. What is the legal justification for targeting them? Amit Malviya's over-the-top complaint?
— N. Ram (@nramind) October 31, 2022
Malviya, in his official complaint to the cops, stated that the outlet, in a news report published on October 10, claimed that he was part of a special group called 'X Check-List on Meta'.
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