NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Tuesday refused to stay the investigation into a case registered against a woman journalist over alleged casteist remarks and public humiliation of a police officer during a protest near Jantar Mantar earlier this month.Justice Mini Pushkarna clarified that the court was neither rejecting the interim prayer at this stage nor passing any order on it, news agency PTI reported.The court issued notice to the Delhi Police and the assistant commissioner of police (ACP), who filed the complaint, on the journalist’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR. It asked them to file their replies before November 16, the next date of hearing.“I am not rejecting any prayer as of now. I am only issuing notice to them. The matter needs consideration; list for final hearing on November 16,” the judge said.Earlier, the woman journalist had filed a sexual assault complaint against the official. The Delhi Police Crime Branch is investigating her complaint, PTI reported.The journalist’s counsel argued that the FIR lodged by the ACP was intended to intimidate her and prevent her from pursuing the complaint against him.The high court passed a similar order on a separate plea by a male colleague of the journalist, who has also sought quashing of the FIR registered against him.The Delhi Police registered the FIR against the independent journalist and others based on an official’s complaint, PTI reported.The officer, who is posted at the Connaught Place sub-division of New Delhi district, alleged that casteist remarks, public humiliation and defamation were directed at him during the protest.The FIR invokes relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Sections 221 (obstructing a public servant from discharging duty), 356(2) (defamation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).(With agency inputs)
