Raipur Police declare TV anchor an absconder

U.P. Police release Rohit Ranjan on bail after 12 hours of questioning

Chhattisgarh Police personnel give a notice to the local police in the Sector 20 Police Station regarding the arrest of Zee News anchor Rohit Ranjan, in Noida, on July 6, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Raipur Police on Wednesday declared TV anchor Rohit Ranjan an absconder after they could not find him at his residence in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in a case pertaining to alleged doctored video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. They said they were trying to trace him. Earlier, after around 12 hours of questioning, the Gautam Buddha Nagar Police released Mr. Ranjan on bail late on Tuesday night.

Udayan Dehar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Raipur, said the team visited the Zee News office in Noida, and also lodged a complaint against Indirapuram police station officials with the Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police for obstructing them in carrying out their duty.

Earlier, an official release of the Gautam Buddha Nagar Police said a team brought Mr. Ranjan from his Ghaziabad residence to Noida in connection with an FIR filed in the Sector 20 police station under Section 505 (2). "After interrogation, Mr. Ranjan was arrested on the basis of evidence. As it was a bailable offence, he was released on bail. Further investigation is under way," the release said.

First statement

This was the Uttar Pradesh Police’s first official statement after a team whisked Mr. Ranjan away from his Ghaziabad residence on Tuesday morning, leaving the Chhattisgarh Police stranded.

The Raipur Police had a non-bailable warrant against Mr. Ranjan in connection with an alleged doctored video of Mr. Gandhi that was telecast.

Mr. Dehar said the Noida Police should have told them when they granted bail to Mr. Ranjan.

Meanwhile, questions remain as the FIR against two producers — Narendra Singh and Vikas Kumar Jha — on the July 3 complaint of Zee News regarding the telecast of the misleading video was written at 8.33 a.m. in the Sector 20 police station, after the Noida Police team reached Mr. Ranjan’s residence in Ghaziabad, covering a distance of around 10 km.

Observers said the FIR didn’t mention the name of Mr. Ranjan but still the Noida Police rushed to detain Mr. Ranjan for questioning when the Raipur Police had already reached the anchor’s residence to take his custody for the telecast of the same video. The only difference was while the Raipur Police had a non-bailable warrant, the Noida Police questioned him for a bailable offence.