FIR against Arnab Goswami, editor of Kannada channel of Republic Group for fake news report about Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
The Hindu
R Kannada channel aired a news story claiming that traffic on M. G. Road in Bengaluru was stopped to enable passage for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and, hence, an ambulance was stuck. The news report was accompanied by a video that had been posted on social media. However, at that time, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was not in Bengaluru. He was in Mysuru, according to the complainant.
Bengaluru police have registered a case against Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV, and Niranjan, editor of the Kannada news channel of the same group (R Kannada), for allegedly airing a fake news report about Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The duo has been booked under Section 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code for ‘statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes’.
The complainant is Ravindra M. V., secretary, Legal Cell, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. He has alleged that on March 27 around 7.15 p.m., R Kannada channel aired a news story claiming that traffic on M. G. Road in Bengaluru was stopped to enable passage for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and, hence, an ambulance was stuck. The news report was accompanied by a video that had been posted on social media. However, at that time, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was not in Bengaluru. He was in Mysuru, according to the complainant.
The complainant has sought action against Arnab Goswami and Niranjan for ‘airing fake news without verifying it with an intention to provoke people during elections’.
The voter turnout in the first of the two-phase Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka on Friday, which sealed the fate of 247 candidates, stood at 69.23%, marginally higher than the 68.96% recorded in 2019. Continuing the trend of urban apathy, the three constituencies in the State capital — Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Central, and Bengaluru South — recorded a turnout of 54.42%, 52.81%, and 53.15%, respectively. Mandya recorded the highest turnout at 81.48%.