Uttarakhand HC quashes FIR registered against journalists by state government

In a major ruling, the Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday quashed the FIR registered by the state government against two journalists for cheating, forgery, and many other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

It further directed the Superintendent of Police, CBI Dehradun, to register an FIR on the basis of the allegations levelled against the Chief Minister.

The single-judge bench of Justice Ravindra Maith of the Uttarakhand HC passed the order and granted relief to two Journalists -- Umesh Sharma and Shiv Prasad Semwal.

"The allegations as levelled in the instant FIR do not make out any prima-facie case against the petitioners," Justice Maith said in his judgement today and quashed the FIR registered against the journalist duo -- Sharma and Semwal.

"Superintendent of Police, CBI Dehradun is directed to register an FIR on the basis of the allegations levelled," the bench further said in its order.

The HC noted that the FIR registered under Sections 420 (Cheating), 467 (Forgery of Valuable Security), 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating), 469 (Forgery for the purpose of harming the reputation), 471 (Dishonestly using forged document as genuine) and 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the IPC at Police Station Nehru Colony, District Dehradun, is hereby quashed.

( With inputs from ANI )