Friends,
Recently a news came which said that the Rajkot police registered and then arrested arrested the executive editor, reporter and photographer of a leading vernacular daily, Divya Bhaskar, that had recently published a photograph of Rajkot Police Commissioner Geetha Johri partying on New Year's eve. The paper was accused of "manipulating" news allegedly to increase readership.
The complaint filed by Malaviyanagar Police Inspector S K Rai said the two reporters and the photographer had "gatecrashed" a private party, taken photographs of a couple in a manner that the images appeared obscene and published them alongside a photo of Johri and her husband. The caption of the photographs further questioned the propriety of Johri's presence at the party.Batwa maintains that neither was the party private nor its venue. He said the party was organised at Neel City Club, for which passes were sold, and that his staffers were carrying entry passes.Geeta Johri has called the publication of her photo a breach of privacy. She had said that she and her family were invited to the party along with other IAS and IPS officers and she had asked the newspaper's staff not to take her pictures. Johri had also said that her photo and an unrelated one of a couple dancing intimately were clubbed together to give the party "an obsence touch".My wife Nutan took this matter further to know that this FIR No 6/2012 was registered under sections 447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292 and 120B IPC. She talked to the complainant, S K Rai, who said that though he had got the FIR registered but he would not speak a single word beyond this. Nutan has written letters to the Home Minister, Government of India and Chief Minister, Gujarat to get this matter enquired.
There could be more than one opinion on this issue and hence I present this letter for your perusal and kind comments on the entire issue-
Amitabh Thakur
Lucknow
# 94155-34526
To,
Sri P Chidambaram,
The Home Minister,
Government of India,
New Delhi
Subject- Enquiry and strict action against Ms Geeta Johri, IPS officer from Gujarat presently working as Police Commissioner, Rajkot
Sir,
This is to inform you that as per the information coming from Media, a completely false FIR No 6/2012 under sections 447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292 and 120B IPC has been registered by Sri Sanjay Kumar, Inspector of Police Station Malviy Nagar, Rajkot (Gujarat) against three media-persons Sri Kana Batwa (editor), Sri Aniruddh Nakum (reporter) and Sri Prakash Ravrani (phtographer) belonging to Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar daily. As per the information, this FIR was registered at the instigation of Ms Geeta Johri, IPS, the present Police Commissioner of Rajkot. The reason for getting this FIR registered was that her photo in a dancing pose at a New Year eve party at Neel City Club, Rajkot was taken and later published in the Rajkot edition of the Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar. The three media persons were later arrested and released after much delay despite grant of bail by the competent Court.
Sri P Chidambaram,
The Home Minister,
Government of India,
New Delhi
Subject- Enquiry and strict action against Ms Geeta Johri, IPS officer from Gujarat presently working as Police Commissioner, Rajkot
Sir,
This is to inform you that as per the information coming from Media, a completely false FIR No 6/2012 under sections 447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292 and 120B IPC has been registered by Sri Sanjay Kumar, Inspector of Police Station Malviy Nagar, Rajkot (Gujarat) against three media-persons Sri Kana Batwa (editor), Sri Aniruddh Nakum (reporter) and Sri Prakash Ravrani (phtographer) belonging to Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar daily. As per the information, this FIR was registered at the instigation of Ms Geeta Johri, IPS, the present Police Commissioner of Rajkot. The reason for getting this FIR registered was that her photo in a dancing pose at a New Year eve party at Neel City Club, Rajkot was taken and later published in the Rajkot edition of the Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar. The three media persons were later arrested and released after much delay despite grant of bail by the competent Court.
Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a Civil society working in the field of Human rights strongly condemns this gross violation of Human Rights by the Rajkot police on the illegal orders of Ms Geeta Johri. We strongly feel that the FIR registered for publishing a photo of Ms Johri dancing in a Party and another photo on its side with a young couple standing near each other is a completely illegal and undemocratic. Other than various sections related with Defamation (500, 501, 502 of IPC), even offence of criminal trespass (447 IPC), illegal detention (341 IPC), voluntary causing hurt (323 IPC) and criminal conspiracy (120B IPC) have been included in a simple act of taking a photo in dancing pose and publishing it. This act taking a photo in dancing pose and publishing it is not at all criminal in any way. What is equally serious is that Ms Johri did not get the FIR registered herself but forced one of her subordinate officers to register an FIR. One fails to understand why shall Mr Sanjay Kumar get adversely affected by a photograph of her dancing Police Commissioner?
If a proper enquiry is conducted in this matter, it will be found out that the the party was almost like a public gathering where many persons had assembled and were eating, dancing and making merry. Thus, if some photographer went there and took photographs of Ms Geeta Johri, Police Commissioner and published it in their newspaper, it cannot be considered as being a crime of any sort. On the other hand, registering such a serious crime for this act is definitely illegal. It is also a clear-cut case of abuse of power and is a serious act against the freedom of Press in our democratic nation.
Hence we request you to get the matter enquired immediately and to take strict action against IPS officer Ms Geeta Johri for this illegal act of extreme highhandedness.
Lt No- IRDS/Geeta/01 Yours,
Dt- 18/-01/2012
(Dr Nutan Thakur)
Secretary, IRDS,
5/426, Viram Khand,
Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
# 94155-34525
If a proper enquiry is conducted in this matter, it will be found out that the the party was almost like a public gathering where many persons had assembled and were eating, dancing and making merry. Thus, if some photographer went there and took photographs of Ms Geeta Johri, Police Commissioner and published it in their newspaper, it cannot be considered as being a crime of any sort. On the other hand, registering such a serious crime for this act is definitely illegal. It is also a clear-cut case of abuse of power and is a serious act against the freedom of Press in our democratic nation.
Hence we request you to get the matter enquired immediately and to take strict action against IPS officer Ms Geeta Johri for this illegal act of extreme highhandedness.
Lt No- IRDS/Geeta/01 Yours,
Dt- 18/-01/2012
(Dr Nutan Thakur)
Secretary, IRDS,
5/426, Viram Khand,
Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
# 94155-34525
Copy- Sri Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Gandhinagar for getting an enquiry conducted and taking necessary action in this matter
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