Uttar Pradesh Police in Bijnor has booked two journalists over alleged fake news claiming that a Dalit families in Titarwala Basi village were threatening to leave. As per reports, the journalist working with a local daily and another working with local electronic media outlet have been booked for ‘fake news’ which claimed that a Dalit family was planning to leave the village after they were not allowed to collect water from village hand pump by influential family of their community in the same village.
A journalist Vishal and another Rashid were booked by Bijnor Police. According to SP (city) Lakshmi Nivas Mishra, on investigating the news published by the media outlet, police found that none of the Dalit families were planning to leave the village. The police claimed that the reporters had ‘manipulated’ the report. As per police, the Dalits wrote ‘house for sale’ on suggestion of the journalists. A case has been registered against the journalists.
In an unrelated news, another journalist in Azamgarh was also booked over allegations of blackmailing primary school teacher. As per reports, one journalist Santosh Kumar Jaiswal, who worked as a stringer for Jansand Times used to threaten school authorities.
According to Phulpur Circle Officer Ravi Shankar, school principal Radheshyam Yadav has alleged that Jaiswal would visit school and misbehave with teachers and students. He alleged that Jaiswal had misused images of school teachers and students. School principal has alleged that Jaiswal made the students hold a broom and clicked the images. When school authorities objected, he reportedly started arguing with them. Jaiswal was produced in court and taken in judicial custody.
