Journalist arrested by Punjab police granted bail, accuses Kejriwal of 'counter blast' for reporting against Rs 45 cr allegedly spent on Delhi CM's house

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, May 6

Journalist Bhawana Gupta, who was taken in custody by Punjab Police, was on Saturday granted interim bail.

The order by Justice Augustine George Masih after special evening hearing will remain in operation till Monday at least.

Bhawana and two others had moved the high court for quashing the FIR registered under the provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the provisions of the IPC after claiming that the case was "nothing but political witch hunt on State of Punjab’s part”.

Senior advocates RS Rai and Chetan Mittal with counsel Gautam Dutt appeared before the Bench on the petitioners’ behalf. The plea added that the news channel she was working for had been reporting against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for constructing/renovating of his official residence at the costs of Rs 45 crore. "As a counter blast and to teach lesson to the news channel, the present false case has been registered against the petitioners, who are innocent and been framed,” it added.

Bhawana, representing a TV news channel, was detained for hours on Friday at Division No 3 police station in Ludhiana, when the car she was riding hit a woman.

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