UP journalist booked over LPG queue visuals, elderly man dies same day outside gas agency
Lucknow: A television journalist in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad has been booked for allegedly circulating misleading visuals of people standing in queues outside a gas agency, even as a 70-year-old man died the same day after collapsing near an LPG outlet in the district.
An FIR was registered on March 13 at Kamalganj police station against Anubhav Mishra, a reporter with Noida-based Hindi Khabar channel, under Section 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with public mischief through circulation of false content or rumours via electronic means.
Newslaundry quoted police as saying that the case relates to visuals showing long queues outside a gas agency in Kamalganj. The videos were aired and posted on social media by the channel. According to officials, the footage was two days old and did not reflect the current situation.
A senior police official said the images were misleading and created panic about an alleged LPG shortage. The administration has maintained that there was no shortage of cylinders in the district and that distribution was proceeding normally.
ALSO READ: Three children among 7 of family killed in massive fire at multi-storey building in Delhi's Palam
On the same day the FIR was lodged, Mukhtiyar Ahmed, a 70-year-old zardozi worker from Lal Sarai in Farrukhabad, collapsed outside a Bharat Gas agency and was later declared dead at a private nursing home. Family members said he had stepped out early in the morning to collect a cylinder after failing to receive booking confirmation through his mobile phone a day earlier.
Relatives claimed he had been standing in a queue for nearly two hours before he fell ill. Videos circulating locally showed bystanders attempting to revive him before he was taken to hospital. He had been undergoing treatment for a heart ailment in Kanpur for the past six months, family members said.
District Supply Officer Surender Kumar said there was no cylinder shortage and disputed claims of long waiting hours. He said the deceased had reached the agency around 8.30 am and fell ill within a short span. Kumar added that due to a high volume of bookings, the server had temporarily failed to generate delivery authentication codes, but vendors were issuing paper receipts to consumers.
Earlier, based on inputs shared by Mishra, Hindi Khabar had posted a social media update referring to chaos over LPG supply in Farrukhabad and difficulties faced by consumers due to booking issues. The post was later taken down.
ALSO READ: Bengaluru family attempts to send man in 'parcel' to protest high bus fares ahead of Ugadi, Ramzan
Police sources said the FIR was filed after it was found that the visuals used were recorded on March 11 and were circulated on March 13 in a manner that could create unrest. Sub-Inspector Sandeep Kumar, the complainant in the case, stated that when police visited the spot, no such long queues were found.
Mishra worked as a reporter for five years. He said he had forwarded the visuals to his channel on the same day he received them and maintained that several agencies in the district were facing booking-related issues. He noted that if authorities found any factual inaccuracies, they could have sought clarification instead of registering an FIR.
The family of the deceased has not lodged any complaint. District Supply Officer Surender Kumar and Farrukhabad Superintendent of Police Aarti Singh along with other officers visited the family later in the day and a cylinder was delivered to their residence.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
