Lodge FIR on Kejriwal's morphed video: Delhi Court to police

After a morphed video of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal singing an obscene song has made rounds on social media, an advocate has filed a complaint demanding action. In connection with the complaint, a court has directed Delhi police to lodge an FIR within a week.

New Delhi: A court has directed Delhi Police to register an FIR on a complaint over a morphed video of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal allegedly singing an obscene song, saying its tone and manner lowers his reputation and addresses the public in an abusive manner.

Metropolitan Magistrate Kishor Kumar directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Paschim Vihar Police Station to lodge an FIR on the basis of the complaint filed by an advocate within one week. It further directed the police to file a compliance report by December 2.

The complaint filed by advocate Amit Sahni claimed that after the result of Delhi Vidhan Sabha Election on February 12, 2020, a video was uploaded on Youtube in which Kejriwal has been shown singing an obscene song.

The court said in its order passed on September 24, "In the video in question, the tone and manner of the song was not only lowering the reputation of a constitutionally elected Chief Minister but it was also addressing public/voters in an abusive manner who have exercised their constitutional/electoral rights while voting for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the purpose of electing Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi."

It was argued that apart from the fact that the abusive content is circulated on social media but the children, who are unable to identify that the video is morphed but they can follow and understand the abusive word used in the morphed song in a positive manner as Arvind Kejriwal has been shown/misrepresented singing the same.

Sahni stressed that Kejriwal has established himself in the present tough traditional politics and a significant number of youngsters, teenagers, and kids follow his speeches and "particularly because he is a person with an excellent academic profile, who is IIT passed out, who left his comfortable job as Senior Indian Revenue Services (IRS) Officer and has successfully turned as a politician for contributing towards the society".

It was also stressed during the hearing that it's very easy to criticise politicians but to be in politics and particularly leaving established career is extremely difficult but the Chief Minister of Delhi has successfully given his best contribution to the national capital and therefore he has carved his niche in the heart of Delhites impressing all category of people.

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"I find there is prima facie cognisable case having been disclosed by the complainant on the basis of the CD in question in which Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi is shown singing...under section 294 (obscene acts and songs) of IPC (Indian Penal Code) read with 67 (lascivious content) of Information Technology Act," the judge said.

An Action Taken Report was filed by the police stating that the video in question does not attract any cognisable offence as there was nothing obscene. According to the complaint, offences under section 294 IPC and under section 67 of the Information Technology Act are made out.

Sahni said that the alleged abusive content was degrading constitutionally elected Chief Minister and such content was being circulated further to the public at large which would create a negative impact on kids, who were unable to understand the manner in which it was morphed and shown that the Chief Minister was using abusive content while addressing the public.

"The video was uploaded on February 12, 2020, and the result of Delhi Vidhan Sabha Election was announced on January 11, 2020, with the sole object of degrading the constitutionally elected Chief Minister in a manner which is detrimental for the kids, who cannot understand that it is not the Chief Minister but the video is morphed ulterior motives," he claimed in his complaint.

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With agency inputs