Cases filed against 2 reporters, over vendor suicide case
Televisionpoint.com Correspondent
Cases for abetment of mass suicide have been registered against reporters of two national TV news channels. The death toll in the vendor mass suicide case in Varanasi has gone up to five.
Senior Superientendent of Police S.P. Shirodkar has ordered registration of a criminal case against Star News and IBN7 reporters and two traders - Ravi Banerji and Namo Upadhyaya. A complaint, filed by another trader Ramlal Keshri, said that the TV reporters allegedly instigated the disabled vendors, who were protesting against the removal of their roadside shops.
Denying the allegation, IBN7 representative Vikrant Dube said the police was targeting the media to deflect attention from the incident.
Shailesh Chaurasia of Star News said he covered the event professionally and claimed he had even informed the city SSP. "No policeman or civilian official had reached the spot till half-an-hour after the incident," he said.
UP home secretary Renuka Kumar said that it had been found that reporters of the two channels had incited the vendors to take the drastic step of consuming poison because it would make a good visual and increase the TRP's of the channels.
"Action will definitely be taken against irresponsible persons from the media because two days ago we had assured the vendors that they would be suitably rehabilitated and an acceptable solution to this effect had been worked out. The vendors were fully satisfied with the outcome of their meeting with me, and there was just no provocation for their action on Wednesday," district magistrate Veena Kumari said.
It may be recalled that on Tuesday, about a dozen physically handicapped vendors in Varanasi consumed poison to protest against an anti-encroachment drive being carried out in the Gurubagh locality. The physically challenged vendors had been using the pavements to sell their wares and had been served notices to vacate the space as part of the municipal corporation's anti-encroachment drive.
Cases for abetment of mass suicide have been registered against reporters of two national TV news channels. The death toll in the vendor mass suicide case in Varanasi has gone up to five.
Senior Superientendent of Police S.P. Shirodkar has ordered registration of a criminal case against Star News and IBN7 reporters and two traders - Ravi Banerji and Namo Upadhyaya. A complaint, filed by another trader Ramlal Keshri, said that the TV reporters allegedly instigated the disabled vendors, who were protesting against the removal of their roadside shops.
Denying the allegation, IBN7 representative Vikrant Dube said the police was targeting the media to deflect attention from the incident.
Shailesh Chaurasia of Star News said he covered the event professionally and claimed he had even informed the city SSP. "No policeman or civilian official had reached the spot till half-an-hour after the incident," he said.
UP home secretary Renuka Kumar said that it had been found that reporters of the two channels had incited the vendors to take the drastic step of consuming poison because it would make a good visual and increase the TRP's of the channels.
"Action will definitely be taken against irresponsible persons from the media because two days ago we had assured the vendors that they would be suitably rehabilitated and an acceptable solution to this effect had been worked out. The vendors were fully satisfied with the outcome of their meeting with me, and there was just no provocation for their action on Wednesday," district magistrate Veena Kumari said.
It may be recalled that on Tuesday, about a dozen physically handicapped vendors in Varanasi consumed poison to protest against an anti-encroachment drive being carried out in the Gurubagh locality. The physically challenged vendors had been using the pavements to sell their wares and had been served notices to vacate the space as part of the municipal corporation's anti-encroachment drive.
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