Meghalaya Police Denounces Guwahati-Based News Portal for Spreading 'Rumours' About Mukul Sangma

Guwahati, August 15, 2019:

On August 10, a news portal based in Guwahati, had reported that the former Meghalaya Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Mukul Sangma may join the BJP, however Sangma proceeded to rubbish the reports.

Later, the portal claimed that the Meghalaya Police had served a gag order to the portal and sent a notice under Section 91 CrPC to the news portal, asking them to remove a news report.

In reaction to this, Asst. Inspector General G.K. Iangrai issued a press statement where it was stated that it is "significant to point out that the matter in contention is under inquiry as the publishing of the report/ alarming news contains rumors which may incite hatred or ill will between different communities, which is apart from the intent to defame the leader of the opposition, Dr. Mukul M. Sangma."

Furthermore, it was stated that "there is no journalistic privilege or any codification that prevents media houses from disclosing their source of information as and when required; such remarks by the editor-in-chief of a reputed daily is uncalled for, as the only aim of the notice under section 91 criminal procedure code, 1973 was to ascertain authenticity of the information, which has been denounced as misinformation with criminal, malafide and defamatory intent by the leader of the opposition himself'.

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