New Delhi: A local court in Delhi has now ordered the Delhi Police to register an FIR against BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra for posting a doctored video of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that he supported the three contentious farm laws, that are now to be repealed after a nearly-year-long protest by farmers.
The Tis Hazari court's Metropolitan Magistrate Rishabh Kapoor thus allowed the criminal complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA Atishi and directed the Delhi Police to register the case under the relevant sections.
According to the complaint, Patra, had in January this year, posted an edited, doctored and tampered with footage of CM Kejriwal on social media — which showed the AAP chief purportedly supporting the farm laws.
According to a fact-check conducted by AltNews, the 18-second video was analysed and it was found that in the original video, the CM was actually speaking against the farm bills.
The investigation by AltNews also found that the 18-second clip posted by Patra on Twitter was compiled from several short parts cut out from different points in the original video — to misrepresent what he was saying.
Patra had deleted the tweet after this fact-check was published.
According to Atishi's complaint, Patra allegedly knowingly and fraudulently forged the original video and uploaded the false and doctored version on social media.
The plea stated that the petitioner had also approached the Delhi Police with regards to registering an FIR in the matter. It said that the Delhi Police had assured that an FIR would be filed but till now, no action had been taken on the
complaint.
The plea argued that the Delhi Police must take action on a complaint that discloses the commission of cognizable offences. It said that in such an instance, the police have no option but to immediately register an FIR and probe
the case.