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Indian Editor arrested for 'outraging Muslims'

by Sanjay Jha | February 11, 2009 at 10:24 pm

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The editor and publisher of a major Indian newspaper have been arrested for "hurting the religious feelings" of Muslims after they reprinted an article from British daily The Independent.

Ravindra Kumar and Anand Sinha, the editor and publisher of the Kolkata-based English daily The Statesman, appeared in court yesterday charged under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code which forbids "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings".

Muslims said they were upset with the Statesman for reproducing an article from the UK's Independent daily in its 5 February edition.

The article was entitled: "Why should I respect these oppressive religions?"

Mr Ravindra Kumar, Editor, The Statesman, and Mr Anand Sinha, Printer & Publisher, were arrested today on a complaint by a resident of Eliot Lane, Kolkata, and charged under Sections 295A (deliberate act with malicious intent to outrage religious feelings) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
They were produced before the chief metropolitan magistrate Mr SS Anand, who granted them bail. The arrests were in connection with the publication of an article by Johann Hari of The Independent of London by The Statesman in its issue of 5 February.
Upon learning that a case had been registered by Kolkata Police, The Statesman contacted senior officers and offered to assist its investigation, and to aid efforts to defuse tensions in the city. Following this, the arrests were made early today.
The city has been rocked by protests and violence since 7 February. The protesters had demanded the immediate arrest of the Editor. n SNS.

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René

at 23:41 on February 11th, 2009

No freedom of the press in India? Outrageous. Hope the editor and publisher can beat this.

Roy C

at 00:08 on February 12th, 2009

This is leftist tolerance becoming intolerant.

This is fascistic anti-fascism, and intolerant anti-intolerance, and means that lying must go on to keep the peace.

tlreed

at 01:03 on February 12th, 2009

It is a bit like yelling fire in a burning theatre. The threat is real, but the reaction to it needs to be controlled or chaos will ensue leading to more deaths than if the evacuation proceeds smothly. "Outraged Muslims" are a legitimate threat to the government and the people, an editor in India must keep this in mind and temper the remarks of the publication accordingly. Not to lie, but to be more tactful.