Gujarat: Journalist booked for report claiming CM’s ‘impending ouster’

The FIR has been lodged following a complaint by ‘Babubhai Vaghera’ from Rajkot city who is into the “construction business”. Nakum has been booked under IPC Sections 505 1(b) for making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumor or report with the intent to cause fear or alarm to the public, 505 (2) for statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes and 114 for offence committed when abettor present.

According to the FIR, the news article was allegedly written without any basis to create a “sense of anxiety among the Indian masses” and “create hatred between supporters of different political groups”.

The slug of the report published on the front page of the newspaper on August 22 evening mentioned “Internal turmoil: Unimaginable twist in Gujarat BJP, CM Bhupendrabhai to go”, the complaint reads. “Other lines mentioned in the report were, “Bhupendra government’s weak performance report reaches Delhi”, “to attract Patidar vote bank, BJP high command in mood for some great changes”, “reports of workers being unhappy with state leaders”, “CR Paatil proven false again” and “Rupala and Mansukh in upcoming CM race”. Aniruddh Nakum and the editor and owner of the evening newspaper had, without any basis, written a report, with the intention to spread rumour and create anxiety and hatred between supporters of different political groups, thereby creating disruption of public peace. The report has done the act of creating tension among people regarding political instability and creating hatred among people in the Saurashtra region and elsewhere in Gujarat (sic),” read Vaghera’s complaint.