Press Council of India finds Vijay Karnataka guilty of targeting Muslims over COVID-19 spread
New Delhi: The Press Council of India (PCI) censured the ‘Vijay Karnataka’ newspaper owned by Times Group for its coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic and targeting a particular community for its role in the spread of the virus.
The Council took note of an editorial titled 'All those who died from Corona are from the same community - why do they still come together in the name of prayers?’ dated 28, March 2020 and published in the newspaper. The complainant argued that this article violated the Norms of Journalistic Conduct, 2019. The complainant had also demanded an apology and a clarification from the newspaper that Muslims were not responsible for the spread of coronavirus.
The complainant is part of a Bengaluru-based collective called 'Campaign against Hate Speech'. Vijay Karnataka is a Kannada language newspaper circulated primarily in Karnataka state.
Hate Speech Beda has previously filed complaints against Times Now, News18 Kannada, Suvarna News, and Star of Mysore. In all four instances, they successfully argued their case and ensured action against the media houses. Vijay Karnataka failed to attend the summons of the Press Council of India (PCI) on two different occasions, following which the PCI issued a bailable warrant against the editor.
In their defence, the newspaper argued that they did not mention the name of any particular community and that the newspaper was merely attempting to bring awareness to the community.
A PCI inquiry committee rejected this argument and noted, "There is a reference to persons who visited Mecca and thereafter allegedly died of Corona. There is a reference to people offering namaz behind closed doors. It is stated that Hindus and Christians have respected the curfew, but members of the mentioned community have been offering namaz (sic) behind closed doors. Reference to Mecca and namaz indicates that the author had Muslims in mind and he was targeting them."
The committee concluded, "Vijay Karnataka has tried to spread misinformation during the time of the Pandemic and has targeted the Muslim community, and its conduct is violative of the Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India."
On December 16, 2022, the PCI censured the Star of Mysore newspaper for its editorial on Muslims.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
