.jpg)
Legal Correspondent: Junu Das
August 21, 2021: The Gauhati High Court refused to grant bail to a news reporter who purportedly threatened the District Immunization Officer in the District of Dibrugarh, Assam for publishing an argumentative news report where the reporter observed that a person was received two vaccine doses on the same day. The news reporter adversely threatened the officer and demanded 30,000 from the officer for not publishing the news report. The reporter threatened that if such amount is not payable then the reporter will expose the officer by publishing the news report. It can also be considered that in the beginning, the news reporter was given 20,000 by the officer to prevent the reporter from not publishing the news. The reporter further demanded more money which was illegal and whoever intentionally and dishonestly threatened any person to provide money or property then the person commits extortion under Section 383 of the Indian Penal Code-1860. Moreover, the person who commits extortion shall be punished with imrisonment up to three years or a fine.
Thereby, an FIR was lodged by the District Immunization Officer of Dibrugarh District, Assam against the news reporter for threatening him and insisting to pay more money. Then the reporter was applied for anticipatory bail from the fear of pre-arrest by the police. However, the court rejected to grant anticipatory bail to the news reporter after observing that the officer and other witnesses have been examined in the matter and the allegation which was raised in the FIR was supported by them. Therefore, the Court refused to grant anticipatory bail to the news reporter.
Sources:
Subscribe to get the full version of "The Nyayik Samachar" monthly at your Email for Free.