Team News Riveting
New Delhi, November 7
A Gurugram special court has issued warrant of arrest against journalist and news-anchor Deepak Chaurasia for allegedly airing ‘morphed, edited and obscene’ videos of a 10-year-old girl and her family and linking it to the sexual assault case against godman Asaram Bapu.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Shashi Chauhan issued the warrant of arrest for November 21, 2022. “The bail of the applicant-accused Deepak Chaurasia is cancelled. His bail bond and surety bond are cancelled and forfeited to the State. Warrant of arrest against accused Deepak Chaurasia be issued for 21.11.2022. Notice to his surety under Section 446 CrPC and his identifier be also issued for the date fixed,” the court said in its order.
In the order pronounced on October 28, the court expressed its displeasure over Chaurasia’s absence. The court noted that though an application for exemption from personal appearance had been filed stating that he had to be rushed to hospital because of low blood sugar level but the same was not supported by any medical certificate or by an affidavit.
The Judge observed that even on September 23, a similar application was moved and it appeared that Chaurasia was intentionally avoiding his presence. “No ground is made out to allow the exemption application and the same stands dismissed,” the Court said.
The case relates to a first information report (FIR) registered on the complaint of the child’s relative in December 2013. News channels News24, India News and News Nation were accused of airing the video. According to reports, former News 24 managing editor Ajit Anjum, anchor Chitra Tripathi and Chaurasia are among eight people charge-sheeted in the case.
It is alleged that the video aired on these news channels partially revealed the faces of the girl child, complainant’s wife, and other women.
