Even after a letter from women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi, the probe into the Twitter war between singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya and journalist Swati Chaturvedi has been moving at a snail’s place. The journalist has described the language used by the singer “foul, profane and obscene” in the first information report (FIR) filed by the Delhi police.
. Chaturvedi, who has been a journalist for over two decades, has alleged the singer attacked her on Twitter after she pointed out he was spreading a lie that a Chennai techie was murdered over love jihad. “When I called out his lie and suggested he be prosecuted for fomenting communal trouble, he attacked me using foul, profane and obscene language,” she said in the FIR, adding, “His tweets, which are from his verified account, are attached to the complaint. The abusive messages drew commendation from the public and the Mumbai Police, who I had tagged, asked me to file a complaint.”
The police have booked the singer under section 67 A (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.
The journalist said, “I have written three times to Delhi police to transfer the FIR which is my legal right. I also gave the same complaint to the Mumbai Police. I even sent them the FIR registered by the Delhi police.”
Senior lawyer Abha Singh said the police have failed to book him under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code, which amounts to committing obscene act or use of obscene words in public place.
Commenting on the slow pace of the probe, Singh said, “The primary jurisdiction is of the Oshiwara police station. At best Delhi, can have concurrent jurisdiction.”