Mumbai: Barely 24 hours after a massive migrants’ morcha demanding ‘ghar-wapsi’ shocked the nation, the Mumbai Police on Wednesday evening arrested a television journalist, Rahul Kulkarni, on charges of spreading fake news.
“Rahul Kulkarni has been arrested by the Bandra Police and will be produced before the court on Thursday morning. He has been charged under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Epidemic Diseases Act,” Mumbai Police spokesperson and DCP Pranaya Ashok told IANS.
Kulkarni is the Osmanabad-based correspondent of ABP Majha, a Marathi language TV channel, who had came to Mumbai from where he was nabbed.
Rajdeep Sardesai’s reaction
Meanwhile, senior a famous news anchor, Rajdeep Sardesai expressed dissatisfaction over the development in the Mumbai Migrant case. He tweeted, “Troubled by arrest of @abpmajhatv journalist in Mumbai migrant case. He may have put out an unverified report on train re-opening but to arrest him without serving notice to channel is not done”. He also demanded investigation in the roles of local leaders/WhatsApp rumours in fuelling trouble.
In another tweet, he questioned, ‘was there any mala fide intent?’.
State HM’s statement
State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the misinformation regarding the commencement of trains from April 14 appeared to be a ‘big conspiracy’.
“The wrong information regarding the starting of trains was disseminated using 11 different methods. Those accounts have been tracked, police cases are being filed and due process of law will follow,” the minister said.
Simultaneously, the Mumbai Police and the Cyber Crime Branch are working on the probe with new revelations of a viral video suggesting a possible conspiracy theory.
Migrants’ protest
It may be mentioned that due to misinformation, more than 1,000 migrant workers had gathered outside the station in Bandra on Tuesday and demanded transportation arrangements to go back to their hometowns.
Heavy police deployment was made at the protest site to tackle any untoward incident.
Another man who is reportedly responsible for protests arrested
Earlier, another man who is allegedly responsible for the protest was arrested by the police.
The man, Vinay Dubey was booked under relevant sections of IPC and Section 3 of The Epidemic Diseases Act.
Free Press Journal had reported that Dubey had contested the 2019 election as an independent candidate.
It is also reported that earlier, Dubey had shared the stage with MNS Chief Raj Thackeray.