Mumbai Police Files FIR Against Republic TV’s Editorial Team

Mumbai: In the latest development in the police versus media tussle, Mumbai Police on Friday lodged an FIR against a bunch of employees of Republic TV news channel for allegedly defaming the police and inciting “disaffection” against them.

The FIR has named Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, Deputy News Editors Sagarika Mitra and Shawan Sen, Anchor/Senior Associate Editor Shivani Gupta, Deputy Editor Shawan Sen, other editorial staff and the newsroom in-charge.

The FIR was filed at NM Joshi Marg Police Station based on a complaint by sub-inspector Shashikant Pawar of Special Branch-1, under section 3(1) of the Police (Incitement to Disaffection) Act, 1922, along with IPC section 500 (defamation), PTI quoted a police officer as saying.

The FIR stated that the accused broadcast a report on Thursday, between 7 pm and 7.10 pm, about a ‘revolt’ by senior police officers against Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, asserting that this “amounted to incitement to disaffection among members of the police force and defamation of the force.”

Republic TV responded by saying: “In a brazen, blatant and shocking attack on press freedom by Mumbai Police, Republic Media Network has been issued notice to submit details of every transaction since inception and list every single journalist and employee. We will fight each and every strong-arm tactic.”