A Sudarshan News editor ‘Mukesh Kumar’ was arrested by police over his alleged inflammatory posts on social media related to the communal violence in Nuh and the adjoining districts of Haryana that took six lives after a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked on July 31, an official said.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kumar alleged that a foreign media house has been making calls to the Gurugram Police Commissioner and pressuring her to take action against Hindus over the communal riots, according to a report published by the news agency PTI.
The TV channel termed the arrest of Mukesh Kumar an attack on media freedom. Initially, it alleged that the channel’s resident editor was abducted by some goons.
“He (Mukesh Kumar) had gone to Mewat to help “struggling” Hindu activists. He was abducted by “well-built goons” from his car in Sector 17, Gurugram,” the channel said on X.
Later, it issued another statement saying it took the Gurugram Police seven hours to issue a press note informing about the arrest, as per PTI reports.
“This arrest is totally illegal and wrong. Sudarshan News stands by Mukesh Kumar ji and considers the arrest an attack on media freedom,” it said with the hashtag #ReleaseMukeshKumar.
Meanwhile, the Gurugram Police on Friday termed Kumar’s post baseless, false, and misleading. An FIR has also been registered under the relevant sections of IT Act against the journalist at the Cyber Crime, East Police Station, PTI reported.
“The @AJENews (Al Jazeera News Channel) has been making calls to the Gurgaon Police Commissioner and pressuring her to take action against Hindus. And after receiving the call, @DC_Gurugram comes under so much pressure she picks up Hindu activists from anywhere,” Kumar wrote in a post on August 8.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya on Friday said that the journalist was arrested and taken to a hospital for his medical examination.
(With PTI inputs)
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Updated: 12 Aug 2023, 08:50 AM IST