Editors Guild voices concern over FIR against Prabhat Khabar editors, MD

New Delhi: Editors Guild on Friday voiced deep concern over the registration of an FIR against the editors and managing director of Prabhat Khabar, a daily headquartered in Jharkhand, on the complaint of a person lodged in a Ranchi jail.

In a statement here, the Guild noted that Jharkhand Police has registered a first information report under sections 469, 501, and 502 of the Indian Penal Code against Prabhat Khabar chief editor Ashutosh Chaturvedi, resident editor Vijay Kant Pathak, as well as managing director Rajeev Jhawar, in response to a complaint filed by one Jogendra Tiwari.

"The Guild also expresses its deep concern on the misuse of criminal defamation laws against journalists in an effort to intimidate and harass them," the statement said.

It said that Tiwari, who is currently lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail, had allegedly made threatening calls to Chaturvedi in response to some reports published in the newspaper on charges filed by the Directorate of Enforcement, against some members of the liquor mafia in the state.

Earlier, the Guild had written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren as well as top state officers urging the government to initiate an inquiry against the liquor mafia and to take necessary steps for ensuring the safety of Chaturvedi.

The Guild also demanded that the criminal defamation law be scrapped, and such matters be left to be adjudicated in the civil domain.