Mumbai: A television journalist was arrested from here on Wednesday over his report on resumption of special trains, which might have prompted gathering of migrant workers in suburban Bandra on Tuesday amidst the coronavirus lockdown, a police official said.
"Rahul Kulkarni (a journalist with a TV channel) has been arrested in connection with yesterday's gathering in Bandra. He is accused of spreading misinformation about trains being restarted," said Abhishek Trimukhe DCP (Zone IX), Mumbai Police.
The police official further stated that the journalist will be produced before Bandra Court on Thursday.
As per reports, the accused, Rahul Kulkarni, was detained in Osmanabad in Marathwada region, where he is based, and brought to Mumbai where he was formally arrested.
The arrest of Kulkarni, who works with a Marathi news channel, was announced by state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on his Twitter handle.
"Police arrested journalist Rahul Kulkarni for giving news report, due to which rumour was spread," Deshmukh tweeted.
In a recent news report, Kulkarni said Jan Sadharan special trains would resume for people stranded due to the lockdown, the police official said.
As per the information received, the journalist has been booked under IPC Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269, 270 (negligent, malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 117 (abetting commission of offence by public), the official said.
The arrest came a day after more than 1,000 migrant workers had gathered outside the station in Bandra, demanding transport facility to go back to their hometowns, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown to May 3.
With inputs from ANI and PTI
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