Gujarat journalist booked for ‘defaming’ BJP MLA: Report

A journalist from Gujarat daily Prathna Sandesh has been booked for allegedly posting defamatory content about a BJP MLA on the newspaper’s social media handle, according to a report by The Indian Express.

Surat police reportedly filed a case of criminal defamation against Jashoda Desai on the basis of a complaint from Keyur Patel, the sarpanch of Karchaliya village in Mahuva taluka, on Sunday. In his complaint, Patel alleged that Desai had made derogatory comments against Mohan Dodhiya, the four-term BJP MLA from Mahuva.

“I don’t know Jashoda Desai…On social media, she says I have studied till class 7 while I have studied till class 9… She is intentionally harming my reputation,” Dodhiya told The Indian Express.

Desai has reportedly been booked under IPC sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 500 (defamation), 501 (putting or engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 502 (sale of printed or engraved substance containing defamatory matter).

Mahuva police inspector S M Patel told The Indian Express, “We have registered an offence on the basis of Keyur Patel’s statement. We have collected screenshots of the content Jashodaben Desai uploaded against the BJP MLA on social media. We are looking for Desai and have also called the editor of the newspaper.”

This report has been published with AI assistance.