Noida: Journalists held for ‘scuffle’ still in police custody

On Wednesday, four journalists were arrested for allegedly assaulting policemen after an argument over a traffic violation. The fifth journalist was booked under sections of rioting and deterring a public servant from discharging his duty. The journalist, Dinesh Kumar, however said he was “picked up by police for recording the incident”.

“The matter is under investigation and we have found that while Dinesh was involved in the scuffle, he did not physically assault the policemen. It appears he was trying to help the other journalists. The four other accused are in custody. We are exploring the case from all angles,” said Vineet Jaiswal, SP City. As per the FIR, around 7 pm, the policemen stopped a bike which did not have a number plate, near Khora in Sector 58. Police claimed the men on bike, Avinash and Ravendra, failed to produce the required documents, following which they engaged in an argument, which escalated into a scuffle.

The FIR states that Avinash and Ravendra were joined by Sandeep, Jeetu and Dinesh, also journalists. According to police, Dinesh claimed he was passing by in an auto when he began recording the incident.