Sudarshan News Editor Arrested Over Post On Nuh Violence

A Sudarshan News editor has been arrested by police here over his alleged inflammatory posts on social media related to the communal violence in Nuh and adjoining districts in Haryana, an official said.

The TV channel termed the arrest of Mukesh Kumar, its resident editor, an attack on media freedom and had initially alleged he was ''abducted'' by some goons.

Police said he was arrested by the Cyber Crime, East Police Station.

Six people have been killed in the communal violence which erupted in Nuh on July 31 after a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked. Police said that in a post on X, called Twitter till recently, Kumar alleged a foreign media house has been making calls to the Gurugram Police Commissioner and pressuring her to take action against Hindus over the communal riots.

In a statement on Friday, the Gurugram Police termed Kumar's post baseless, false and misleading. They said an FIR was registered under relevant section of the IT Act and other sections against the journalist at the Cyber Crime, East Police Station. In his post on August 8, Kumar wrote, ''The @AJENews (Al Jazeera News Channel) has been making calls to the Gurgaon Police Commissioner and pressuring her to take action against Hindus. And after receiving the call, @DC_Gurugram comes under so much pressure she picks up Hindu activists from anywhere.'' Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya said on Friday Kumar was arrested and taken to a hospital for his medical examination The Sudarshan News had earlier claimed in an X post that its resident editor Kumar has been ''abducted'' from Gurugram. The channel said he had gone to Mewat to help ''struggling'' Hindu activists. It said he was abducted by ''well-built goons'' from his car in Sector 17, Gurugram.

It issued another statement later, saying it took the Gurugram Police seven hours to issue a press note informing about the arrest.

''This arrest is totally illegal and wrong. Sudarshan News stands by Mukesh Kumar ji and considers the arrest an attack on media freedom,'' it said with the hashtag #ReleaseMukeshKumar.