The Hindu : Tehelka reporter arrested, granted bail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 08, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

Tehelka reporter arrested, granted bail

By Devesh K. Pandey

Anirudh Bahal being produced at a court in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Photo: M. Lakshman.

NEW DELHI AUG. 7. The tehelka.com reporter, Anirudh Bahal, who was part of the team which investigated corruption in defence deals, was today arrested by the South Delhi police on charges of assaulting and threatening a Central Bureau of Investigation official on Monday. He was later granted bail by a Delhi court on furnishing a personal bond.

Around 10.30 a.m., Mr. Bahal was picked up from his Soami Nagar office by a police team which allegedly did not even reveal the nature of the charges. It is also alleged that police prepared related documents during and after his arrest.

Mr. Bahal was taken to the Malviya Nagar and Lodhi Road police stations. Later, he was taken to hospital for medical examination and then produced in the Court of the Metropolitan Magistrate, R.S. Nag, of the Patiala House Courts in the afternoon. The Magistrate granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs. 25,000 with one surety for a like amount.

The CBI officials had earlier lodged an FIR at the Malviya Nagar police station alleging that Mr. Bahal assaulted the Deputy Superintendent of Police, N.S. Kharayat, on Monday. Mr. Kharayat claimed that the incident took place when he had gone to the office of tehelka.com at Soami Nagar to investigate a case under the Official Secret Act registered last year. The official alleged that Mr. Bahal assaulted him and threatened him with dire consequences.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Delhi, P. Kamaraj, said that acting on the FIR, the South Delhi police arrested Mr. Bahal from his office.

It is, however, alleged that after the officers came to know that none of the previous charges against him was non-bailable, an additional charge under Section 506 was made apart from Sections 186 and 353 of the Indian Penal Code. Under these sections, Mr. Bahal was charged with obstructing an official in the discharge of his duties besides assault and threat.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

Parliament deadlocked over petrol pump scam

Many Opposition leaders wrote for allotment: BJP

Tehelka reporter arrested, granted bail

Right to education a distant dream?

Probe ordered into `sati'

Bomb hurled at U.P. MLA

EC to visit Gujarat for spot assessment

R.K Sharma in Himachal?

Vaiko's Remand extended

Manipur CM's house attacked