HC stays prosecution of journalist in MP

Jabalpur, Aug 10: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed trial in a lower court against a journalist of Narsinghpur in a rape case allegedly raked up by the police to harass him.

Single bench of Mr Justice Abhay Nayak yesterday granted the stay on the plea of Mr Deepak Shrivastava, who alleged that he was being harassed, threatened and framed in a rape case by the district administration.

The High Court issued notices, returnable in two weeks, against Narsinghpur Superintendent of Police Radheshyam Saket, Town Inspector Awadhesh Tiwari and other police officials. The court also directed the district administration to provide protection to Mr Shrivastava.

Petitioner's counsel Shashank Shekhar told the court that the civil and police administration of Narsinghpur had a grudge against the journalist for exposing corruption and other irregularities from time to time. He was framed in a rape incident of January 26, 2006.

The petitioner urged the High Court to reject the case lodged against him in the district court and order a high-level inquiry into framing him in a false case. He was being pressurised and threatened to force him to withdraw the petition filed in the High Court, Mr Shrivastava added.

UNI