New Delhi: Trinamool’s Saket Gokhale who secured bail in an alleged “fake tweet” case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today has been arrested again. Chief metropolitan magistrate M V Chauhan granted bail to the TMC leader after he was produced before the court following the completion of his police custody, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Jitendra Yadav adding that soon afterwards he was arrested by the Morbi police in another offence registered there, NDTV reported.
Party leader Derek O’Brien tweeted alleging Gokhale was “being harassed by Gujarat Police”, adding that a delegation of party MPs is on its way to Gujarat.
“@SaketGokhale @AITCofficial being harassed by Gujarat Police even after getting bail. ARRESTED AGAIN 8.45pm Dec 8. While he was leaving Cyber PS in Ahmedabad, Police team without notice/warrant are arresting him and taking him to unknown destination. CONDEMNABLE,” posted Mr O’ Brien.
SHOCKER #Break
@SaketGokhale @AITCofficial being harassed by Gujarat Police even after getting bail. ARRESTED AGAIN 8.45pm Dec 8. While he was leaving Cyber PS in Ahmedabad, Police team without notice/warrant are arresting him and taking him to unknown destination. CONDEMNABLE— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 8, 2022
According to Gujarat Police, the case against Gokhale originates from a tweet alleging that PM Modi’s visit to Gujarat’s Morbi – the site of a bridge collapse in which over 140 were killed in November cost the state government Rs 30 crore, around six times the total compensation given to the victims of the tragedy. He has also faked documents for his tweet on the subject, police sources alleged.
The government’s fact-check unit zeroed in on the tweet, which was accompanied by what appeared to be a newspaper clipping. “RTI revealed the PM’s visit to Morbi cost ₹ 30 crore,” it said. The Press Information Bureau, in its fact-check of December 1, said it was fake and “no such RTI response was given”.
