The Delhi Police on Monday raided the houses of The Wire’s founders, Siddharth Varadarajan and MK Venu, in connection with fake stories published by the website. The police raids took place after BJP’s IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya, reportedly filed an official FIR against the website and its editors.
A news report by PTI said that the office of The Wire too was searched and all electronic devices relevant to the probe seized.
The police have not yet arrested the editors or other staff members involved in publishing those fake stories, that have now been deleted from the website.
Malviya had earlier filed a police complaint against the website and its editors accusing them of ‘cheating and forgery’ and ‘tarnishing’ his reputation. This had prompted the Delhi Police to register an FIR against the website and its editors.
In its infamous stories, The Wire has claimed that Malviya was extended a special power, which allowed him to take down any posts on Instagram, a social media platform owned by Meta.
Varadarajan’s brother Tunku Varadarajan tweeted, “The @DelhiPolice Crime Branch just searched the house of my brother @svaradarajan & seized his phone & laptop. Why seize these when his publication has acknowledged/retracted a mistake? This seizure is repugnant in a democracy. Indians should raise their voices in fierce protest.”
The @DelhiPolice Crime Branch just searched the house of my brother @svaradarajan & seized his phone & laptop. Why seize these when his publication has acknowledged/retracted a mistake? This seizure is repugnant in a democracy. Indians should raise their voices in fierce protest.
— Tunku Varadarajan (@tunkuv) October 31, 2022
Several opposition leaders too extended their support to The Wire editors. Lawyer and Congress leader Salman Khurshid tweeted, “The Editors of the Wire, Sidharth Varadarajan and M K Venu are two to be proud of. They were misled into a story for which they have expressed regret. They deserve better than the midnight knock. We stand by them.”
The Editors of the Wire, Sidharth Varadarajan and M K Venu are two to be proud of. They were misled into a story for which they have expressed regret. They deserve better than the midnight knock. We stand by them
— Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) October 31, 2022
Malviya, according to PTI, had earlier threatened to initiate criminal and civil proceedings against the portal over stories, now retracted, for defaming him through their fake stories. Faced with global outrage, The Wire was forced to take down its stories and issue a public apology.