- Mukesh Kumar, resident editor of Sudarshan News, was arrested from Gurugram’s Sector 17 for allegedly sharing inflammatory posts on social media about the communal violence in Nuh.
- The channel had initially claimed that Kumar was “kidnapped” by some “goons”, However, Gurugram Police issued a clarification stating that he was arrested by the Cyber Crime division.
- Kumar tweeted that the Gurugram Police acted against ‘Hindu activists’ due to pressure from the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel.
- Sudarshan News’ editor-in-chief warned the Gurugram Police that he would make a “big announcement” on Saturday if they did not release Kumar.
The editor of a Hindi news channel was arrested by Gurugram Police on Friday for allegedly sharing inflammatory posts on social media about the communal violence in Nuh and other districts of Haryana.
Mukesh Kumar, the resident editor of Sudarshan News, was arrested from Gurugram’s Sector 17, the police said. The channel had initially claimed that Mr. Kumar was “kidnapped” by some “goons”. However, Gurugram Police issued a clarification stating that he was arrested by the Cyber Crime division.
Mr. Kumar tweeted that the Gurugram Police acted against ‘Hindu activists’ due to pressure from the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel. He alleged that the foreign media outlet has been making calls to Gurugram Police Commissioner Kala Ramachandran, asking her to take action against Hindus in connection with the communal riots.
The Gurugram Police termed Mr. Kumar’s post as “baseless, false, and misleading” before registering a case against him under relevant sections of the IT Act.
“This arrest is totally illegal and wrong. Sudarshan News stands by Mukesh Kumar ji and considers the arrest an attack on media freedom,” the channel tweeted.
Sudarshan News’ editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke, in a long post on social media, raised questions about Mr. Kumar’s arrest. “Why didn’t the police arrest Mukesh Kumar in uniform? Is the Haryana government bowing down to the ego of an officer? Where are the organizations of journalists and human rights?” Mr. Chavhanke wrote on Twitter, creating a social media firestorm.
He even warned the Gurugram Police that he would make a “big announcement” on Saturday if they did not release Mr. Kumar. “Let us see which Hindu men are with us,” he wrote on Twitter.
Then an hour later, he claimed that Mr. Kumar has been released, however, there has been no official statement from the Gurugram Police.
The suspension of mobile internet and SMS services in Nuh has been extended until Sunday, as conditions in the district are still tense. So far, 393 people have been arrested and 118 have been taken into preventive detention in connection with the violence.
Six people were killed in clashes that broke out in Muslim-majority Nuh on July 31, when a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession was attacked by mobs. The dead included two home guards and a cleric.
(With inputs from agencies
