Dainik Jagran’s Exit Poll: Online Editor arrested, gets bail

Ghaziabad: The Editor of the online edition of Dainik Jagran newspaper was arrested on Tuesday for publishing an exit poll ahead of the second phase of Uttar Pradesh polls. A court gave him bail.

Police said Sashank Shekhar Tripathi was taken into custody from his residence at Sahibabad here. He was produced before a court which granted him bail.

The police said Tripathi published an exit poll on the website on February 13. The second phase of the staggered assembly election in Uttar Pradesh is due on Wednesday.

The Chief Election Officer ordered the District Election Officer to file a FIR and arrest the Editor.

The complaint stated that the publication of the exit poll was aimed at confusing voters. It was a violation of the model code of conduct.

“We arrested Tripathi,” police officer Hemant Rai told IANS.

He said two other accused — the Managing Editor and Managing Director of RDI, a company which conducted the opinion poll — were yet to be caught.

“Raids are being conducted for the two persons,” Rai said.