Rajasthan HC Stops Sedition Proceedings Against Journalist Aman Chopra

The FIRs accused Chopra of giving false details regarding the demolition of a temple in Alwar district's Rajgarh.

File photo of TV news anchor Aman Chopra.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Aman Chopra)

The Rajasthan High Court's Jodhpur bench on Wednesday, 11 May, ruled that TV news channel News18 anchor Aman Chopra will not be arrested till 20 May, which is the next date of hearing of his anticipatory bail plea.

The court was hearing the case against Chopra, whose arrest was stayed by the court a day earlier, too.

Further, the court also directed the police to not investigate the matter for allegations covered under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

This comes after the Supreme Court noted that "it would be appropriate to put the provision on abeyance" while the government re-examined the law.

Background

Chopra was booked for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and hurting religious sentiments through his show "Desh Jhukne Nahi Denge" on the demolition of a temple in Alwar district’s Rajgarh.

Chopra had earlier obtained a stay on his arrest from the court's Jaipur bench in the cases registered against him in Bundi and Alwar districts, but still faced arrest in connection with a similar First Information Report (FIR) filed in Dungarpur.

A team of Rajasthan Police had reached Noida to arrest the anchor in connection with the third FIR.

However, Justice Dinesh Mehta on Tuesday, 10 May, stayed his arrest in the third FIR as well, filed against him at Bichhiwada police station in Dungarpur district.

Special Public Prosecutor Vinit Jain had argued before the court that the petitioner's apprehension over his arrest was misplaced and pleaded against the stay, PTI reported.

However, according to Chopra's counsel Mrinal Bharti, the court said that it would decide the matter after seeing a recording of the programme.

The police said that Chopra was booked under Sections 124A (sedition), 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code, as per LiveLaw.

The FIRs accused Chopra of giving false details, which suggested that the demolition of a temple in Alwar district's Rajgarh town was carried out by the Rajasthan government in retaliation for the demolitions in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.

While Rajasthan is run by a Congress government, the Rajgarh municipality is controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

(With inputs from PTI and LiveLaw.)