JHC quashes criminal proceedings against journalist K.B. Mishra

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court quashed entire criminal proceedings against www.virdohi24.com journalist Krishna Bihari Mishra in a matter involving a picture of former Jharkhand chief minister and present Odisha governor Raghuvar Das in which Das has been depicted as Lord Ram.

“……….entire criminal proceeding including order taking cognizance dated 07.06.2019 passed in connection with Dhruva P.S. Case No. 122 of 2017, corresponding to G.R. No. 2529 of 2017, pending in the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Ranchi, are quashed,” judgement delivered from the court of Justice Sanay Kumaar Dwivedi reads.

The judgement delivered on May 8 was uploaded on Jharkhand High Court website on Saturday evening.

The court judgement suggests that the case arose after an F.I.R. was lodged against Mishra by Ajit Sahu alleging therein that he fraudulently used Sahu and his friend Umesh Yadav’s name on his Facebook Account in a photo depicting the Chief Minister of Jharkhand as Bhagwan ‘Ram’ which hurts the religious sentiments of Hindu people and will also the image of Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

It was further alleged in the FIR that the photo, which was posted on Mishra’s Facebook Account, depicts Sri Raghubar Das, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand as Bhagwan “Ram” and upon same photo name of Ajit Sahu and his friend Umesh Yadav as addressee has been given which is absolutely false. Sahu said that he had not created the photo and he and his friend were deeply upset by such a thing.