The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the immediate release of journalist Prashant Kanojia, who was arrested for the post against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The top court said journalist Prashant Kanojia’s arrest by the Uttar Pradesh Police for ‘defaming’ Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ‘is not murder’. The court also said, “The police can proceed against him, but arrest? No.”
Supreme Court orders immediate release of freelance journalist, Prashant Kanojia who was arrested by UP Police for ‘defamatory video’ on UP Chief Minister. pic.twitter.com/OTr47uEVSu
— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2019
The apex court added, “Opinions may vary, he (Prashant) probably should not have published or written that tweet, but on what basis was he arrested.”
The court was hearing a petition by Kanojia’s wife, challenging his arrest. She moved the Supreme Court on Monday.
Prashant Kanojia, a freelance journalist, was arrested from his Delhi home on Saturday morning and sent to jail in the evening for sharing a post on the UP chief minister. Subsequently, four people, including the woman, were also arrested on charges of posting allegedly objectionable content about Adityanath.
The journalist had shared a video on Twitter and Facebook where a woman is seen speaking to reporters of various media organisations outside Yogi Adityanath’s office, claiming that she had sent him a marriage proposal.
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Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also criticised the journalist’s arrest and tweeted, “If every journalist who files a false report or peddles fake, vicious RSS/BJP sponsored propaganda about me is put in jail, most newspapers/ news channels would face a severe staff shortage. The UP CM is behaving foolishly & needs to release the arrested journalists.”
If every journalist who files a false report or peddles fake, vicious RSS/BJP sponsored propaganda about me is put in jail, most newspapers/ news channels would face a severe staff shortage.
The UP CM is behaving foolishly & needs to release the arrested journalists. https://t.co/KtHXUXbgKS
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 11, 2019
The police action against Kanojia had also sparked outrage in media circles. The Editors Guild of India had criticised the arrest as ‘authoritarian misuse of laws’.