The Editor-in-Chief of Hindi channel Sudarshan News , Suresh Chavhanke, has been booked on charges of allegedly hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity between religious groups.
The Uttar Pradesh police registered a case against Mr. Chavhanke, also the managing director of the company, after his channel telecast a programme in which he allegedly made several comments that could disturb communal harmony.
Through the website of the channel, Mr. Chavhanke has been appealing to Hindus to reach Sambhal, a communally-sensitive district in western U.P., to stake claim over a mosque that he says was once a Hindu temple, the Hari Mandir.
Mr. Chavhanke has been booked under Sections 153 A(1) (promoting disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different groups), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 505(1)B (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquillity) of the Indian Penal Code.
Section 16 of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1955, was also invoked in the FIR, a statement by the U.P. police said. The case was registered at the Kotwali police station in Sambhal.
The police took the action after the matter was raised by citizens of different communities.
