NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday called for an action taken report from Delhi Police on a complaint filed by Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastav seeking registration of FIR against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for allegedly spreading fake news during Jamia violence last year.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja directed Delhi Police to file an action taken report on the complaint and slated the matter for February 24.
Advocate Alakh Alok argued, "In the month of December, after CAA was passed, there was violence and unrest in South Delhi. DTC buses were burnt down. There were pictures of some police officials pouring some liquid. Manish Sisodia, despite holding a responsible post, took to Twitter and without verifying it, accused Delhi Police personnel of setting the fire."
A criminal complaint was on Thursday filed in the special MP/MLA magistrate court in Delhi against Sisodia for allegedly spreading fake news that Delhi Police personnel were setting a DTC bus on fire during Jamia violence.
The complaint sought registration of FIR against Sisodia under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and IT Act.
In his complaint, Srivastava alleged that Sisodia took to Twitter to spread fake news by accusing Delhi Police personnel of setting a DTC bus on fire during violence at Jamia Nagar on December 15 last year.
It said that despite lapse of more than one and a half months, the police have not yet registered FIR against the accused and sought directions for immediately registering it under Sections 153, 153-A, 504 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of Information Technology Act.
Sisodia had on December 15 shared pictures and videos purportedly from Jamia Nagar in which policemen were seen carrying some barrels and pouring liquid onto the DTC buses.
He had alleged that the BJP had used the police to set buses on fire during the incident.
At least three DTC buses were set on fire in the Bharat Nagar area of the national capital on December 15 after a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent in the area.