An FIR has been filed with the West Bengal Police against the controversial Zee News editor, Sudhir Chaudhary, channel’s reporter Pooja Mehta, cameraman Tanmay Mukherjee ‘others.’ for allegedly inciting hatred among communities while covering Dhulagarh communal flare-ups on the occasion of Eid Milad-ul-Nabi. (Watch video below)
The said FIR, filed by an individual Chiranjit Das under Section 153A, deals with promoting enmity between different groups on basis of religion, caste, creed, language or place of birth.
Chaudhary took to social media to express his outrage over the development.
On Facebook, he wrote, “Just to inform all of you Mamta Banerjee Govt has filed an FIR against me and ZeeNews reporter Pooja Mehta and cameraperson Tanmay Mukherjee for covering Dhulagarh Riots on Zee News.The FIR has non bailable sections which is enough to gauge their intentions to arrest me and my colleagues. Pooja Mehta is just 25 and got the taste of Mamta’s intolerance so early in life in the form of a non bailable FIR.
“This is what a young girl reporter getting to learn from a woman chief minister who claims to be the champion of democracy.It’s another low point in our democracy to see a democratically elected govt using police force to curb media in an effort to suppress uncomfortable facts and reality.When you can’t manage media,use the state machinery to conquer the media only to conceal the failures of your administration. It shows the intolerance of a chief minister who is using the state machinery as her personal fiefdom and acting like a feudal lord. I see the positive side of this blunder as a window for all free minds of this nation to act and show fascist forces their actual place. Or once again Selfish Politics will prevail? That’s my fear.”
He also tweeted about the incident.
.@MamataOfficial Govt files FIR against me& @ZeeNews reporter for covering #DhulagarhRiots with Non Bailable sections.FIR for showing truth?
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) December 27, 2016
West Bengal Police were unavailable for comments, when contacted by Janta Ka Reporter.
Watch Zee News’ special coverage on Dhulagarh communal flare-ups below
