Chhattisgarh journalist arrested for ‘spreading fake news’ about ‘Congress leaders’

Nilesh Sharma, a journalist and “political satirist” from Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, has been arrested by the police on charges of “spreading fake news” against Congress leaders, Hindustan Times reported. This came after one Khilawan Nishad, who calls himself a Congress worker, filed a complaint against the journalist accusing him and his portal of spreading fake news.

According to the Statesman, Sharma is the editor of web portal and magazine India Writers. The Statesman alleged that the complainant had singled out Sharma’s political satire, Ghurwa ke Maati, for “driving a wedge between the Congress leaders”; the complainant also said Sharma was a part of “Godi media”.

Accordingly, an FIR was registered against Sharma on Wednesday under section 504 of the Indian Penal Code for intentional insult to provoke breach of peace. The FIR accuses Sharma of “spreading negativity” and driving a “wedge among the leaders and office bearers of Congress”. He was arrested on Thursday.

Police superintendent Prashant Agarwal was quoted as saying, “We have booked him under the relevant sections for spreading rumours, fake news, and more investigation is going on.”

In a similar instance in October last year, a journalist and his technical assistant from Chhattisgarh were also arrested for publishing “misleading and baseless” information after two Congress MLAs had filed a complaint against them.