The Delhi high court is reviewing a petition to remove journalist Rana Ayyub's tweets, and seeks her stand on a petition seeking the removal of the allegedly objectionable content from social media.
The journalist, a Navi Mumbai resident who writes for the Washington Post, received repeated WhatsApp calls from an unknown international number, identified as 'Harry Shooter Canada', on November 2, an official from Koparkhairne police station said.
Delhi Police on Tuesday informed a court that a first information report (FIR) was registered against journalist Rana Ayyub for allegedly making derogatory posts in 2016-17, including 'insults to Hindu deities, spreading of anti-India sentiment and incitement of religious disharmony'.
A 45-second video clip posted on the Twitter handle @RanaAyyub on February 25 shows some men attempting to place a saffron flag and the National tricolour on what looks like a minaret, against the backdrop of billowing black smoke.
Justice Yashwant Varma issued notice to the investigating agency on Ayyub's petition against the provisional attachment and sought a response from it within six weeks.
The federal agency filed its prosecution complaint against Ayyub before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) on October 12.
India's permanent mission in Geneva, in a tweet, said advancing a "misleading narrative" only "tarnishes" the reputation of the UN mission.
Ayyub is the account holder and deposits totalling Rs 1,77,27,704 have been attached by the ED.
The FIR was registered at the Loni Border police station at Ghaziabad in UP on June 15 under IPC Sections 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feels of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
Filmmaker and censor board member Ashoke Pandit has triggered a controversy for his derogatory tweet on Karan Johar, who hosted the AIB Knockout YouTube video, and his mother who was in the audience.
