Cops Book TV Journo For Facebook Post On Tribals In Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Chhattisgarh police have registered a case against a TV journalist, Manish Soni, for “provocation and criminal intimidation” over a Facebook post that tribals were killing each other in the state.

Soni, who is a reporter with a regional channel in Surguja district, made the controversial post on March 25.

He posted the photographs of some personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) killed in a Maoist attack and wrote, “The caste of those who died and the killers… will be the same. Now understand the people behind the killings and you find the answers. Call them martyrs, salute them and wait for the next incident. The jungle could only be encroached upon by making tribals fight each other (translated from Hindi).”

Police have registered a case based on the complaint of one Alok Dubey, but no arrest has been made yet. “We have started investigation and further action will be taken. The journalist will be given a chance to submit his views,” IGP (Surguja Range) KL Dangi said.

Soni was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts, Hindustan Times reported.

Interestingly the police action came even as the state government has set up a committee to draft the Chhattisgarh Protection of Mediapersons Act.