New Delhi: A team of Rajasthan Police reached Uttar Pradesh’s Noida to arrest TV journalist Aman Chopra for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and hurting religious sentiments, an official said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.
As per Dungarpur Kotwali police station, an FIR was registered against Chopra following allegations levelled by a person of giving out false and fictitious details of the demolition of a temple in Rajgarh of Alwar district by showing that it carried out by the Rajasthan government as an act of revenge following the demolition drive in Delhi's Jahangirpuri.
Chopra was booked under various sections pertaining to sedition, outraging religious sentiments and promoting enmity between two groups and under the IT Act on April 23. Three FIRs were registered against the TV journalist including in Bundi, Alwar and Dungarpur districts, under various sections.
The Rajasthan High Court had put a stay on Chopra’s arrest in two FIRs lodged against him in Bundi and Alwar district but is facing an arrest warrant following a local court order in Dungarpur district, police said.
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“Our team is camping in Noida and searching all possible locations to trace him. Yesterday, our team also went to Chopra's house but he was not found there and his residence was locked,” Dungarpur SP Sudhir Joshi told PTI.
The high court order does not mention the FIR registered in Dungarpur and stay was given on his arrest in FIRs registered in Bundi and Alwar districts, he added.
When asked about cooperation from the Noida police in the matter, Joshi said, “Our team was stopped and asked to come to a local police station before directly acting on the arrest warrant. We cannot say that it is full cooperation.” He said Noida Police was already informed about the case details and this was the second time the police team had gone for his arrest.
The Noida police, however, said that they provided full assistance to the Rajasthan police in carrying out all due procedures, even as the news anchor was not found at his home in the Bisrakh area.
“The action was to be taken by the Rajasthan police and not the UP police. We did help them and assist them as per procedures, and carried out the entries. We helped them in issuing the notice, identifying the location and there was no hindrance from our side,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Noida), Elamaran G, told PTI.
Earlier on April 28, a team of Rajasthan police had landed up at the office of Chopra in Noida Sector 16A in connection with the FIRs lodged against him in the state but the scribe was not found there also, according to sources.