Journalist booked for facebook post against Ram Temple Trust Member accusing land grab

Lucknow: Journalist Vineet Narain and two others were booked for allegations shared in a Facebook post against Chamapt Rai, VHP leader and general secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

Bijnor Police said that Narain accused Rai of being involved in a land grab case in the Nagina area in Bijnor district (Uttar Pradesh). The FIR filed by Rai's brother Sanjay Bansal says that the allegations in the Facebook post are false and fabricated. He also accused Narain of conspiring with AlkaLahoti.

The other two accused are Alka Lahoti and Narain's aide Rajneesh.  Narain is working with an NGO focusing on environmental protection. He had shared details of a cowshed owned by Alka Lahoti, which is under threat from Champat Rai.

The accused are booked under 14 sections of the IPC and two sections of the IT Act. Some of the sections are non-bailable. Dr Dharm Veer Singh, SP Bijnor said that the police are investigating all aspects. But, the allegations appear to be baseless, and the allegations against Rai's family members also seem to have no authenticity.

The case is filed under IPC section 293 (circulating obscene objects), IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), IPC section 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), IPC section 465 (punishment for forgery), IPC section 469 (committing forgery, intending that the document or electronic record forged shall harm the reputation of any party), IPC section 417 (punishment for cheating), and IPC section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion).

The FIR has noted two sections 448 (punishment for house-trespass) and 457 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night) as well.

The FIR said that the Facebook post has hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus and there is a possibility of social order being disturbed.