A team of Rajasthan police is in Noida in Uttar Pradesh to arrest TV journalist Aman Chopra for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and hurting religious sentiments, an official said on Sunday.
According to Dungarpur Kotwali police station, an FIR was registered against Chopra by a man alleging that the journalist gave false and fictitious details by showing that the demolition of a temple in Rajgarh of Alwar district was done by the Rajasthan government as an act of revenge following the demolition drive in Delhi's Jahangirpuri.
Three FIRs have been registered against Chopra, including in Bundi, Alwar and Dungarpur districts, under various sections pertaining to sedition, outraging religious sentiments and promoting enmity between two groups and under the IT Act on April 23.
Chopra got a stay from the Rajasthan high court on his arrest in two FIRs registered against him in Bundi and Alwar district, but is facing an arrest warrant following a local court order in Dungarpur district, the police said.
“Our team is camping in Noida and searching all possible locations to trace him. Yesterday, also our team went to Chopra's house but he was not found there and his residence was locked,” Dungarpur SP Sudhir Joshi told PTI.
He said the high court order does not mention the FIR registered in Dungarpur and stay was given on his arrest in FIRs registered in Bundi and Alwar districts.
When asked about cooperation from the Noida police in the matter, Joshi said, “Our team was stopped and asked to come to a local police station before directly acting on the arrest warrant. We cannot say that it is full cooperation.”
He said Noida police was already informed about the case details and this was the second time the police team had gone for his arrest.
However, the officials of the Noida police said they provided full assistance to the Rajasthan police in carrying out all due procedures, even as the news anchor was not found at his home in the Bisrakh area.
“The action was to be taken by the Rajasthan police and not the UP police. We did help them and assist them as per procedures, and carried out the entries. We helped them in issuing the notice, identifying the location and there was no hindrance from our side,” additional deputy commissioner of police (Central Noida), Elamaran G, told PTI.
Earlier on April 28, a team of Rajasthan police had landed up at the office of Chopra in Noida Sector 16A in connection with the FIRs lodged against him in the state but the scribe was not found there also, according to sources.
