Last week, a POCSO court in Gurugram issued a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) against journalist Deepak Chaurasia when he failed to appear at the hearing.
Against this backdrop, a video of Chaurasia walking while people yelled accusations that he had ruined the life of a minor girl has gone viral.
This has sparked speculation on social media that Deepak Chaurasia has been arrested for allegedly raping a 9-year-old girl.
WHAT’S THE TRUTH?
It’s true that Chaurasia has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in relation to a case in 2013.
But he was not booked for rape charges.
According to Live Law, Chaurasia is charged in a 2013 case for allegedly airing ‘morphed, edited & obscene’ videos of a 10-year-old girl and her family and linking them to a sexual assault case against Asaram Bapu.
Several other news websites have also reported that a complaint has been lodged against Chaurasia for allegedly airing offensive videos of a minor girl and connecting it to the sexual assault case against Asaram Bapu.
What is The Case?
Asaram Bapu, a self-styled godman, has been accused in three rape cases and in jail since 2013.
While covering sexual assault cases involving the spiritual leader, News24, India News, and News Nation broadcasted a video in 2013 of Asaram Bapu visiting a devotee’s home in Gurugram. In the clip, Asaram Bapu could be seen with a 10-year-old girl.
A complaint was made to the police by the uncle of that child against eight people from various news outlets for airing a video in an obscene and vulgar manner.
He filed an FIR at Palam Vihar Police station in Gurugram on 20 March 2015. The complaint, as seen by FactCrescendo, was directed towards former News Nation anchor Deepak Chaurasia, former News24 managing editor Ajit Anjum, Aaj Tak anchor Chitra Tripathi and others.
The minor’s relative accused these journalists of tampering with the original video to give it a false interpretation.
What Are The Charges?
Chaurasia and others have been accused of broadcasting “morphed, edited and obscene” videos of a 10-year-old and her family, linking it to a sexual assault case against Asaram Bapu.
They are facing trial under Section 67B of the Information Technology Act, Sections 469, 471, 180, and 120B of the IPC, and Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
According to Section 23 of the POCSO Act:
No person shall make any report or present comments on any child from any form of media or studio or photographic facilities without having complete and authentic information, which may have the effect of lowering his reputation or infringing upon his privacy.
Deepak Chaurasia is accused of violating this section of the POCSO Act. He is not accused of sexually assaulting a minor.
What is the Current Status?
Journalists Ajit Anjum, Chitra Tripathi, and Deepak Chaurasia appeared in a special POCSO court in Gurugram on 6 June 2022.
On 28 October, the court issued a warrant of arrest against Chaurasia for “intentionally avoiding his presence in the court.”
However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed his arrest and granted him bail.
On 4 February of last week, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Chaurasia for not appearing at the hearing because he had a prior engagement to have an interview with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
This is the second time the court has issued such a warrant in four months. The Court additionally annulled his bail bond and the surety bond.
CONCLUSION
Deepak Chaurasia was not arrested for the accusation of sexual assault on a minor child. Instead, he was charged under the POCSO Act for allegedly broadcasting ‘morphed, edited, and obscene’ videos of a 10-year-old girl and her family and falsely linking the videos to a sexual assault case against Asaram Bapu.
Title:No, Journalist Deepak Chaurasia Has Not Been Arrested For Raping A Minor Girl
Fact Check By: Mayur DeokarResult: False
