Days after registering a case against Journalist Ajeet Bharti on the complaint of making false claims about Rahul Gandhi, a team of Karnataka Police arrived at his house in Uttar Pradesh today. While it was being speculated that police arrived in Noida to arrest him, later it was revealed that police from Bengaluru arrived in Noida to summon him for questioning in the case.
Notably, the Karnataka Police team was in plainclothes, not in police uniforms.
A Police Notice issued by the inspector of Highgrounds Police Station in Bengaluru to Ajeet Bharti asks him to arrive at the police station within 7 days of receiving the notice. The notice states that an FIR was registered under IPC sections 153(A) and 505(2) on the complaint of BK Bopanna. The complainant, who is a lawyer and the secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s legal cell, alleged that in a video posted on X, Ajeet Bharti tried to create feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will between communities.
“Therefore for the purpose of investigation one You are hereby directed to appear before the under signed investigation officer at 11.00 am at High Grounds police station within 7 days of receipt of this notice,” states the notice issued by Prakash GC, the PSI of the Highgrounds police station in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka Police in plainclothes arrived at Bharti’s residence in Noida without informing Uttar Pradesh Police, and it is being claimed that they were attempting to arrest him. However, after the Noida Police were informed about the incident by Bharti, they promptly arrived at the spot. In visuals from outside Bharti’s house, Noida Police personnel in uniform can be seen talking to Karnataka Police personnel in civilian dress.
After some time, Noida Police reportedly took the Karnataka Police team away from the spot.
अजीत भारती को गिरफ्तार करने के लिए नोएडा पहुची कर्नाटक पुलिस
— Minakshi Shriyan (@Minakshishriyan) June 20, 2024
'डरो मत' कहने वाले लोग एक Ajeet Bharti से इतना डर गए कि Karnataka Police को नोएडा भेज दिया.@ajeetbharti के पक्ष में आवाज बुलंद करिए. वो एक पत्रकार हैं और राष्ट्रधर्म को समर्पित हैं.#WeStandWithAjeetBharti pic.twitter.com/2lDromD2qx
In visuals from the scene, UP Police personnel in uniforms can be seen talking to the Karnataka Police personnel in plainclothes outside Bharti’s house, while Bharti along with his family was looking on from the balcony. Some reporters also reached the spot.
Talking about the incident Ajeet Bharti posted on X that three youths arrived at his at around 2 PM claiming that they were their to give a police notice. When he asked whether they have informed the Noida Police, they questioned him in return asking what is the local police station. Bharti then informed the local police station, and team of UP police in two vehicles arrived immediately.
लगभग दो बजे स्वयं को कर्नाटक पुलिस बताने वासे तीन नवयुवक मेरे घर के नीचे आए और कहा कि नोटिस देने आए हैं। मैंने पूछा कि क्या आपने @noidapolice को सूचना दी? उन्होंने कहा कि लोकल थाना कौन सा है?
— Ajeet Bharti (@ajeetbharti) June 20, 2024
मैंने तुरंत ही स्थानीय पुलिस अधिकारी को सूचित किया और @Uppolice की दो गाड़ियाँ शीघ्र…
He added that the Noida Police talked to the ‘youths from Bengaluru and took them away with them’. “I am very grateful to the local police for their promptness in all their efforts,” Ajeet Bharti added.
Ajeet Bharti added that Karnataka police sent three cops to Noida to deliver a notice, which could have been sent by email. He said that 5 officers and some constables of Noida police arrived and took them away.
The case
The video for which the case has been filed is part of a Live Session that Ajeet Bharti had on 14th June. In the part of the video in question, he was referring to a latest interview of actor Naseeruddin Shah. While the complaint was filed claiming that Ajeet Bharti said that Rahul Gandhi has claimed that they will remove the Ram Temple and bring back Babri, Bharti was actually quoting former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam.
On 6th May, it was reported that Acharya Pramod had said in a statement that Rahul Gandhi wanted to overturn Ram Mandir verdict. He had said, “I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt was formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision.”
Bharti, who was just paraphrasing what a former Congress leader had said is now facing action in Karnataka, which is currently being ruled by Congress.
