Raipur-based Nilesh Sharma was arrested Wednesday (March 2) night for running a political satire show. A Congress leader lodged a complaint against him.
Chhattisgarh police released a detailed statement explaining why Raipur-based journalist Nilesh Sharma was arrested Wednesday (March 2) night.
There was nothing in the satire which warranted Sharma’s arrest, so police found pornographic content and sensitive information in his phone.
Sharma runs news portal indiawriters.co.in and runs a hugely popular satire show ‘Ghurwa ke Mati’ on digital platforms. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of magazine India Writers.
In his satire show, Congress leaders of the state alleged, Sharma takes potshots at Congress leaders of the state and ends up hurting their image.
One Congress leader Khilawan Nishad lodged a complaint with the cyber cell of the Chhattisgarh police, and acting promptly on the complaint, police arrested Sharma late Wednesday (March 2) night.
Nishad, in his complaint, accused Sharma of being right-wing and using language that hurt the image of Congress leaders.
Interestingly, in his complaint, Nishad has not mentioned anything about blackmailing or pornography. But police now claim Sharma had blackmailed multiple people and shared pornographic content.
In its statement, the police said Sharma was in touch with prostitutes and chatted with them in ‘amaryadit bhasha’. They also claimed that there were government documents in his phone which could not have been obtained without the connivance of government officials.
“Because there’s nothing in the satire that necessitates his arrest, police now resorting to the WhatsApp chats. The case was about the satire, but police talking about the alleged porn clips in the phone. How does it pertain to the case? Also an invasion of his privacy,” posted Outlook magazine Editor-at-Large Ashutosh Bhardwaj.
The police did not explain anything about the case for which Sharma was arrested, and the investigation started.
The Police has lodged an FIR against Sharma under Section 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace), section 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief, 505 (1) (b) with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity) and section 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between the classes) of the Indian Penal Code.
Police will now add the relevant sections of the IPC for pornography, blackmailing and the relevant sections of the IT act for distributing pornographic content.
Sharma ran a political satire show ‘Chokhelal’ where he regularly used to take potshots at Chattisgarh BJP leaders, including Raman Singh when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power in the state from 2003 to 18,
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