The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Monday conducted searches at the residences of The Wire founder Siddharth Varadarajan and founding editor MK Venu, after BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged that the media company tried to tarnish his image. Malviya had alleged that evidence was fabricated by The Wire against him and his name was deliberately inserted in a story.
Ahead of Delhi Police’s searches at Varadarajan’s residence, The Wire had filed a police complaint against its former consultant Devesh Kumar. The news portal filed the complaint late on Saturday through e-mail and no FIR has been registered so far. It is holding Kumar accountable for Malviya’s name in the now retracted story.
On Saturday, the Delhi Police had filed an FIR against ‘The Wire’ and its editors based on a complaint by Malviya. He said he will pursue criminal and civil proceedings against the portal over stories, since retracted, which suggested that he enjoyed a special privilege on Meta platforms through which he could get any story taken down if not in BJP’s interests.
It is clear that The Wire and some unknown persons entered into a criminal conspiracy with intent to malign and tarnish my reputation, deliberately inserted my name into a story, and fabricated evidence to implicate me. I am left with no option other than to seek legal remedies. pic.twitter.com/7Evz688TVo— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 28, 2022
The complaint against Devesh Kumar, a copy of which was obtained by PTI, alleged that Kumar has a “malintent” towards The Wire, its editors, and staff and has “fabricated and supplied documents, e-mails and other material such as videos with a view to damage its reputation. He has done so either on his own or at the behest of other unknown persons”.
Malviya’s complaint was filed with Delhi Police’s special commissioner (crime) against The Wire, its founding editors Siddharth Varadarajan, Sidharth Bhatia and M K Venu, deputy editor and executive news producer Jahnavi Sen, the Foundation for Independent Journalism and some unknown people.
The complaint was filed for various offences punishable under sections 420 (cheating), 468 and 469 (forgery), 471 (fraud), 500 (defamation) r/w 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (criminal act) of the Indian Penal Code.
(With PTI Inputs)
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