Editors Guild Expresses Concern Over FIR filed Against Editors, MD of Prabhat Khabar

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 6th Jan. The Editors Guild on Friday expressed deep concern over the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the editors and managing director of Prabhat Khabar, a daily newspaper based in Jharkhand. The FIR was filed by a person currently in jail in Ranchi.

The Jharkhand Police has registered the FIR under sections 469, 501, and 502 of the Indian Penal Code against Ashutosh Chaturvedi (chief editor), Vijay Kant Pathak (resident editor), and Rajeev Jhawar (managing director) in response to a complaint made by Jogendra Tiwari.

In a statement here, the Guild noted that Jharkhand Police has registered a first information report under sections 469, 501, and 502 of the Indian Penal Code against Prabhat Khabar chief editor Ashutosh Chaturvedi, resident editor Vijay Kant Pathak, as well as managing director Rajeev Jhawar, in response to a complaint filed by one Jogendra Tiwari.

“The Guild also expresses its deep concern on the misuse of criminal defamation laws against journalists to intimidate and harass them,” the statement said.

It said that Tiwari, who is currently lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail, had allegedly made threatening calls to Chaturvedi in response to some reports published in the newspaper on charges filed by the Directorate of Enforcement, against some members of the liquor mafia in the state.

Previously, the Guild had written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and other state officials, urging them to investigate the liquor mafia and ensure Chaturvedi’s safety.

The Guild also called for the abolition of criminal defamation laws and for such matters to be handled in the civil domain.