New Delhi [India], May 6 : In a big relief for Times Now's journalist Bhawana Kishore who was arrested by Punjab Police on Friday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted the network's reporter interim bail in a special hearing on Saturday.
Times Now termed the HC's order as a big win.
"Big win for TIMES NETWORK! High Court grants interim bail to @BhawanaKishore," the media house said in a tweet after HC's order.
Bhawana Kishore was arrested by Punjab Police on Friday for allegedly hitting a woman with a speeding car and also hurling casteist slurs at her.
The HC's order came after a plea was moved seeking the quashing of the FIR lodged against her under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Advocate Pawan Narang represented the media group. The Advocate General of Punjab was also present in the court.
The Court will now hear her plea for regular bail on Monday.
"Bhawana Kishore was getting pc attacks. We insisted that she should be granted bail...The regular bail plea will be heard on Monday," Times Now said while quoting Chetan Mittal (Bhawana's lawyer).
"The court agreed prima facie that this case is false... Whatever objection the state is having, that case will be heard on Monday," it said as quoting the lawyer.
According to the Punjab Police, Ludhiana Commissionerate Police on Friday arrested three persons, including Bhawana Kishore for hitting a woman with a speeding car and also hurling casteist slurs at her.
However, the media house claimed that the detention was a part of the vindictive politics of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab Government, who were enraged since they conducted sting operations which it called "OperationSheeshMahal", against the party's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Notably, before getting interim bail, Kishore was also sent to judicial custody till May 19.
Reacting to the arrest and subsequent custody, Times Network's Editor-in-Chief, Navika Kumar said, "We will not back down or be silenced."
Taking note of this high drama, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Delhi minister Atishi backed the Punjab government and alleged that the news channel is 'anti-Dalit'.
"The court prima facie found the TV reporter guilty and sent her to custody till May 19. BJP and Times Now channels are anti-Dalit. Do they not trust the court?" Atishi said in tweet.
Many people, cutting across party lines, came in support of Kishore, including Congress leader Pawan Khera asking the Bhagwant Mann government to come clean over the issue.
"Arresting a journalist and putting serious charges against her raises several questions. Is #BhawanaKishore being harassed because the channel she works for has done an expose' on #AAP? why was there no woman constable when she was being arrested? on what grounds have serious charges been imposed on her?" Pawan Khera tweeted.
Earlier in the day, National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma took cognizance of the matter and sought a detailed action taken report in connection with the matter within four days from the State DGP.
In a letter, dated May 6, the NCW chief has also asked the DGP to present a copy of the FIR before the commission.
The commission, citing media reports, said that the journalist, identified as Bhavana Kishore, was recently illegally detained by the Punjab Police in Ludhiana.
Besides this, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) also urged the Punjab government to release the journalist from detention and direct its police to follow the established procedures.
"The Guild also notes that given that the reporter was on a journalistic assignment, the law enforcement agencies should have exercised due restraint with respect to detention and subsequent filing of FIR," the EGI said in a letter.
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