The Hazratganj police of Uttar Pradesh in its pursuit to arrest ‘journalist’ and social media troll Prashant Kanojia, has now prepared a charge-sheet based on the FIR filed against him for spreading rumours on social media.

According to a report by the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, the Hazratganj police will be sending the charge-sheet to the UP government for approval. After getting the government’s nod, the police will be submitting the charge-sheet in the court.

The senior police officials have also sought a progress report from the Hazratganj police station. The charge-sheet has been prepared under Section 67 of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) which provides three years of imprisonment if found guilty by the court.

The Supreme Court had on June 11, asked the UP government to show ‘magnanimity’ in releasing the controversial journalist Prashant Kanojia who was arrested by the Hazratgunj police for posting derogatory tweets against Hindu gods and defamatory posts on UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

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The Uttar Pradesh government has countered the bail application filed by Prashant Kanojia’s wife who challenged Kanojia’s arrest in the Supreme Court.

The UP police officials had picked up Prashant Kanojia after a case was registered at Hazratganj police station, Lucknow. The arrest was made after he was accused of spreading rumours on social media. The police alleged that the accused made “objectionable comments against the CM and tried to malign his image”. The police officials later confirmed that the accused has confessed to his crime.

Read: Media troll, who equated Dalits to animals, arrested for objectionable comments

A case was registered under IPC section 500 (defamation), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and section 67 of the IT act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).

The accused Prashant Kanoja is notoriously known in social media for spreading fake news, rabid anti-Hindu hate especially against Dalits by making atrocious statements. Prashant Kanoja has a history of making vile comments against Dalits and Hindu saints. He had even referred to Dalits as ‘animals with no brains’.