Ravish Kumar warns against proposed Broadcast Services Bill
New Delhi: Renowned journalist and former NDTV executive editor, Ravish Kumar, has raised alarms over the latest draft of the Broadcast Services (Regulation) Bill, which aims to revamp the current cable TV regulations in India. The bill proposes to categorize digital content creators, such as Dhruv Rathee, BeerBiceps, and Kumar himself, as “digital news broadcasters,” potentially subjecting them to new regulations and codes of conduct.
Kumar expressed his concerns in a video released on Saturday, warning that the bill represents an attempt by the government to silence dissenting voices.
He emphasized that this issue extends beyond his channel, touching on the broader implications for freedom of speech in the country. “Where is this country headed if the government is afraid of a few people who speak truth to power?” Kumar questioned, highlighting the potential danger to democracy and free expression.
The bill's ambiguity, with the phrase “as may be prescribed” appearing 42 times, has also drawn criticism. Unlike the previous draft, which was open for public consultation, this version has been selectively shared with specific broadcasters and associations, raising concerns about transparency and inclusiveness in the legislative process.
Kumar urged the public to scrutinize the bill and hold the government accountable for what he views as an attempt to stifle independent voices in the digital content creation space.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
