SC to hear plea for quashing FIR against journalist Vinod Dua in Himachal
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Sunday a plea by journalist Vinod Dua seeking quashing of a sedition case filed against him following a complaint by a local BJP leader in Shimla over his YouTube show.
In a special hearing, a bench of justices U U Lalit, M M Shantanagoudar, and Vineet Saran will hold the proceedings at 11 AM tomorrow.
The Delhi High Court had earlier stayed an investigation into a case against Dua in connection with his show on YouTube.
The police in Shimla had summoned him for questioning over a sedition complaint by a local BJP leader.
Like the complaint lodged in the national capital, the FIR registered against the senior journalist in Shimla is also over his YouTube show on communal riots in Delhi earlier this year.
According to the complaint, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "deaths and terror attacks" to get votes.
Dua has been charged under sections 124A (sedition), 268 (public nuisance), 501 (printing matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) on the basis of a complaint last month by BJP's Mahasu unit president Ajay Shyam.
On Thursday, Dua was sent a notice asking him to appear before the police in Shimla. Himachal Pradesh police personnel arrived at his Delhi home on Friday morning to serve the notice.
In his reply to the notice, Dua said he cannot visit Kumarsain police station because of his health, age, and the COVID-19 protocol for travel and quarantine.
BJP leader Ajay Shyam had complained that Dua made bizarre allegations on his 15-minute YouTube show on March 30.
The BJP leader alleged that Dua had instigated violence against the government and the prime minister by spreading false and malicious news.
On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had stayed till June 23 an investigation into a similar case filed by a BJP spokesperson, Naveen Kumar.
The court had said there was an unexplained delay of nearly three months in filing the complaint.
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Man jumps to death from 22nd floor of posh Noida society; depression suspected
Noida (PTI): A 37-year-old man allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the 22nd floor of a posh residential society in Sector 107 here, police said on Monday.
The incident took place on Sunday in Prateek Edifice Society under the jurisdiction of the Sector-39 police station. The deceased has been identified as Sajjal Mehrotra, a company director who lived in the society with his family.
"On Sunday afternoon, he jumped from the balcony of his flat on the 22nd floor," a police official said.
Family members and security guards rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said, adding that no suicide note has been found.
Prima facie, the deceased was suffering from depression, officials said, adding that other aspects of the case are being investigated.
The body has been sent for post-mortem and further legal formalities are underway.
Police said the man got married about 10 years ago and is survived by his wife and two children. No complaint has been received from the family in connection with the incident.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
