OpIndia editor-in-chief Nupur J Sharma and CEO Rahul Roushan for four weeks over allegations of spreading fake news on attacks against Bihari migrants in Tamil Nadu.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha declined to entertain their plea for quashing for FIR and asked them to approach Madras High Court for the same. The apex court granted them protection from any coercive action or arrest for four weeks to approach the High Court.
An FIR was registered against Roushan and Sharma by Tamil Nady police under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (statements conducting to public mischief) over the alleged fake news.
The FIR was registered on a complaint by Suryaprakash, divisional secretary of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) IT cell that their posts on Twitter were creating apprehension among migrant workers.