An FIR has been registered against former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party workers for allegedly assaulting a journalist in Moradabad.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 323 (causing hurt) of IPC.
Confirming the FIRs, Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and order) Prashant Kumar said that the FIRs were lodged based on complaints from both parties.
“The cross FIRs were lodged based on complaints from both sides. Further action will be taken based on the merits of the cases. An investigation is underway,” said the ADG.
On Thursday, a ruckus had broken out between a group of journalists and the supporters of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav at a hotel in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. The former Chief Minister was in the city to attend the wedding of an MLA and had conducted a press conference at the said hotel on Thursday evening.
A video of the incident had gone viral on social media, where Akhilesh Yadav was seen pushing and shoving through the crowd. He was also heard yelling at the journalists saying “BJP ke liye kaam mat karo” (Don’t work for the BJP). When the journalists sought answers from the Samajwadi Party chief, his supporters and security personnel assaulted, pushed and shoved the reporters.
During the ruckus, a reporter named Fareed Shamsi took a severe blow to his nose from Yadav’s security guard’s rifle.
“The journalists’ association has named former CM Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party workers in its complaint. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party has named two journalists in its FIR,” the ASP said, adding that sections for assault, illegal confinement and rioting have been invoked in both the FIRs.
“In the FIR which was lodged based on the complaint by journalists, former CM Akhilesh Yadav has been named. We are scanning the footage from CCTV cameras at the hotel and are probing the issue,” Anand said.
