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Misuse of law and charges of sedition against journalist Mr. Vinod Dua

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Vinod Dua.

Journalist

Himachal Pradesh and Delhi

 

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on June 27, 2020 regarding fabricated charges against Mr. Vinod Dua, including sedition. Mr. Dua is a veteran journalist and Padma Shri awardee, and is currently a Consultant Editor and anchor with HW News. 

On June 4, 2020, an FIR (no. 74/2020) was registered against Mr. Dua in New Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar police station alleging that he had accused high government functionaries of involvement in the February 23-25 Delhi riots during his March 11, 2020 show on YouTube, which was not true. He was charged under Sections 290, 505 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Delhi High Court stayed the investigation against Mr. Dua for a further date and noted that the steps taken by police in the case did not appear to be in consonance with the law and “do not inspire much confidence”.

Two days after the High Court stay, Mr. Dua was summoned in another case (FIR 52/2020) and charged under Sections 124(A), 268, 501 and 505 of the IPC. The complainant in this case was Mr. Ajay Shyam, a BJP leader from Himachal Pradesh. Though the FIR was filed on May 6, 2020, in Kumarsain, Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Dua was notified by Himachal Pradesh Police at his residence in New Delhi on June 11, 2020 and was pressured to appear in Himachal Pradesh within 24 hours for interrogation.

Mr. Dua filed a petition in the Supreme Court to quash the Himachal Pradesh FIR and the Supreme Court bench ordered that Mr. Dua not be arrested till July 6, 2020. The apex court asked him to co-operate with the police via video conferencing, and allowed the Himachal Pradesh police to interrogate him at his residence after giving him 24 hours’ notice.

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