Overview
- Jaipur police detained Anand Pandey and Harish Divekar of The Sootr over allegedly false reports and a Rs 5 crore demand to remove content, including a threat to run a 'Destroy Diya' campaign.
- Both journalists were released after interrogation with no formal arrest recorded, and the case remains under active investigation.
- Officers cited a video showing a money demand as the trigger for questioning, while the journalists said the footage and voices are AI-generated, prompting police to seek their voice samples.
- The pair received a BNSS Section 35 notice to reappear within five days to answer questions about sourcing, verification, and collaborators, and police said other named individuals will also be examined.
- An FIR lists BNS provisions for defamation, extortion, and publishing false information along with IT Act sections, as political and media figures, including Congress leader Arun Yadav and the Indore Press Club, criticized the police action.