Allahabad HC refuses to quash FIR against four journalists accused of inciting a mob protesting against CAA

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE Allahabad High Court on March 6 refused to quash a First Information Report (FIR) against four news journalists accused of inciting a violent mob protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

Petitioners had contended that they have been falsely implicated, they are News Journalists, and they were covering the incident; and just because they had put queries to the police officials, they have been falsely implicated.

They are accused in FIR dated December 20, 2019, lodged at Police Station Nahtaur, District- Bijnor, under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307, 332, 333, 353, 504, 506, 153-A, 427 I.P.C. and section 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act.

A division bench of Justices Manoj Mishra and Deepak Verma while refusing to quash the FIR noted that as correctness of the allegation is to be tested on the basis of material collected during the course of investigation and the evidence led in trial, the prayer of the petitioners to quash the first information report cannot be accepted.

The petition was, therefore, dismissed by the High Court without prejudice to the right of the petitioners to apply for bail or anticipatory bail, as may be advised.

Read the Order here:

[pdfviewer]http://theleaflet.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRLPA_4245_2020.pdf[/pdfviewer]