Journalist threatened after reports against Ghaziabad dhaba; traders protest FIR

Traders protested in Ghaziabad against an FIR by journalist Sunita Upadhyaya, claiming it was improper and demanding its scrapping.

Defying prohibitory orders, dozens of traders led by former councillors staged a massive protest outside the Shalimar Garden police station in Ghaziabad on Monday and demanded the scrapping of an FIR lodged by a journalist who had alleged that suspects threatened her and warned her of dire consequences after she reported about an “illegal dhaba” being operated in the area.

The police said that no permission was taken for holding a protest outside the police station on Monday. (Representational image)

The traders, along with locals led by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Sardar Singh Bhati, gathered outside the police station and protested against the FIR registered by police on a complaint given by local journalist, Sunita Upadhyaya, who works for Harit Bulletin.

The FIR registered on February 13 names Bhati and Kalicharan Pehalwan, a former councillor, besides the unidentified owner of the dhaba and other people, for allegedly threatening Upadhyaya.

The FIR was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 131 (assault or use of criminal force to any person otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation by treating to cause death or grievous hurt) at Shalimar Garden police station.

In her FIR, Upadhyaya said that after her reports, when the authorities acted against the dhaba, called Punjabi Dhaba, allegedly operating without a licence, the accused and others allegedly started threatening her. The FIR states that a challan was issued against the dhaba by the municipal corporation and the food inspector previously.

“They stopped me near the dhaba when I was returning from a reporting assignment in Delhi. They threatened assault on me. They said that I could be killed and there would be no evidence if I reported against the dhaba. I have evidence of this incident, and it was also captured in nearby CCTVs...I have also been threatened earlier, and I reported this to the Women Commission,” Upadhyaya said in the FIR.

On Monday, Bhati and his supporters said that the FIR lodged by the police was improper and should be expunged.

“The police registered a wrong FIR against us. Instead, journalist Upadhyaya is involved in extorting local traders, and action should be taken against her. Our FIR should be registered instead. The dhaba is being operated on private land by its owner, and it is legal. Hundreds of traders joined the protest, and we also submitted our memorandum,” said Bhati, a former councillor from Ward 37 of Shalimar Garden Main.

The Ghaziabad police on Sunday issued prohibitory orders, which will be in force till April 2 in the wake of upcoming festivals and board/competitive examinations. The orders were issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita.

The police said that no permission was taken for holding a protest outside the police station on Monday.

“Prohibitory orders are in place, and no permission was taken for holding the protest. At least 100-150 people had joined the protest. We will inquire into this. Further, the FIR is already registered against the suspects on a complaint by the journalist, and an investigation is on. There is no point in expunging the FIR. If the suspects have given us any application, it will be made part of the ongoing investigation,” said Nimish Patil, deputy commissioner of police of trans-Hindon zone.