Congress workers protest, allege Noida cops 'protecting' TV anchor

Congress workers staged a protest outside a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Noida night in connection with a case related to the airing of a doctored video of party leader Rahul Gandhi

Congress workers staged a protest outside a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Noida Tuesday night in connection with a case related to the airing of a doctored video of party leader Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress workers alleged that the Noida police obstructed the process of arresting Zee News anchor Rohit Ranjan, against whom an FIR was lodged in Chhattisgarh and a police team from Raipur had come to arrest him from adjoining Ghaziabad, according to a party statement.

They also alleged that the Noida police were protecting Ranjan from their counterparts who had come from the Congress-governed state.

Noida Congress leaders, including Anil Yadav, Purushottam Nagar, former local unit president Shahabuddin, and scores of activists lodged their protest at the Sector 20 police station and sought a clarification from the police over the matter.

The Noida police said in a statement Tuesday night that they had arrested Ranjan from his Ghaziabad home as part of an investigation in a case lodged by them under IPC 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes).

Zee News anchor Rohit Ranjan was brought to Noida from his residence in Indirapuram for questioning in the case. After interrogation, he was arrested on the basis of evidence. He has been released on bail as the sections against him are bailable offences. Further investigation in the case is underway, the police statement read.

A police team which came from Raipur in Chhattisgarh claimed that Ranjan was taken away from their custody in the morning by the Ghaziabad police which later handed him over to the Noida police. They also alleged non-cooperation from their Ghaziabad and Noida counterparts despite having an arrest warrant and court order against the TV anchor.

The Ghaziabad and the Noida police were yet to respond to the claims of their Chhattisgarh counterparts.