At least ten Rajasthan police officials had assembled outside journalist Aman Chopra’s residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida to arrest him for his coverage of temples’ demolition in Alwar on his TV debate show. This development came moments after the Rajasthan High Court had passed an order saying that no coercive action should be taken against Aman Chopra in these FIRs.
OpIndia has accessed information that the Rajasthan police officials had entered the housing society in Noida where News18 journalist Aman Chopra resides. They reportedly entered his apartment to arrest him in a case filed against him for raising temples’ demolition in Alwar on his TV debate show.
Besides Rajasthan police, Uttar Pradesh police have also reached near the journalist’s residence, perhaps to provide protection to Aman Chopra against multiple FIRs that have been registered at the Bundi police station in Rajasthan and the Bichhiwada police station in Dungarpur.
The Rajasthan police had arrived at the residence of Aman Chopra to arrest him in the case based on a warrant issued by a magistrate court in Dungarpur. The warrant read that a case has been registered against the journalist under the IPC sections 153A, 295A, 124A and other provisions of the IT act.
Several cases were registered against News18 Hindi editor News18 on April 24 over charges of promoting communal discord and conspiring to incite riots, serious sections of sedition have also been added against Chopra.
According to sources, the Rajasthan Police pasted the arrest warrant at the door of Aman Chopra’s apartment and was then escorted by the Uttar Pradesh police to the police station, without arresting the journalist.
This is being seen as a classic intimidatory tactic by the Rajasthan police despite the fact that the High Court had stayed the FIRs and barred police from taking any coercive action against Aman Chopra.
Earlier on May 1, a team from the Rajasthan police had shown up at Chopra’s office in Noida, however, they could not meet the journalist.
During his show on the demolition of temples in Alwar, Aman Chopra brought up the anti-encroachment drive held in Jahangirpuri recently and wondered whether the action in Alwar was a retaliation for the drive-in Jahangirpuri. Following the show, a coordinated hashtag was run on social media urging authorities to arrest Chopra for trying to link the two drives, this prompted the authorities to register cases against him.
Following demands by Congress party supporters and a few Congress-aligned journalists, the Ashok Gehlot-led government seems to have sent a large contingent of the police force to arrest journalist Aman Chopra.