A Gurugram court denied anticipatory bail to news anchor Chitra Tripathi after an arrest warrant was issued against her in a 2013 case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, Live Law reported on Thursday.
The non-bailable warrant was issued on November 14 as the court cancelled her bail for not appearing before it, The Indian Express reported. It had also rejected her plea for exemption from personal appearance in the proceedings.
The court had also issued a warrant for Syed Suhail, a news anchor working at another television channel, in the same matter.
Tripathi had sought an exemption citing her travel to Maharashtra to report on the recent Assembly elections. But the court had rejected her application, saying she had been taking the legal proceedings “quite lightly”, Live Law reported.
In her anticipatory bail plea, Tripathi’s counsel argued that as the vice president of television channel ABP News, she was in Maharashtra to interview politicians and was unable to appear in court.
To support her plea, her counsel submitted photos of her interviewing Maharashtra’s acting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his former deputy Ajit Pawar, and her travel tickets.
The special public prosecutor opposed Tripathi’s anticipatory bail plea, arguing that the anchor could have requested an exemption after appearing in court, as her interviews with politicians would have been planned in advance.
The prosecutor also argued that Tripathi had disregarded the court’s process and, therefore, was not entitled to the relief sought.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar Mehta said that Tripathi’s plea was being dismissed as it was based on the same grounds as her earlier exemption application.
Tripathi’s anticipatory bail application was not maintainable also because the same court had issued an arrest warrant against her, the bench added.
It dismissed the application, noting that Tripathi could either file a surrender-cum-bail application or approach the High Court for anticipatory bail.
Tripathi is accused by broadcasting “morphed, edited and obscene” videos of a minor girl and her family and linking the content to a sexual assault case against religious leader Asaram Bapu.
The television anchor has been charged with criminal conspiracy and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and abusing children online and publishing or transmitting sexually explicit content under the Information Technology Act, according to Live Law.
She also faces charges of disclosure of the identity of a child by the media and indecent or obscene representation of a child under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!