Scribe booked for alleged disrespect to national anthem

A case under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971 was today registered against a reporter of an English daily for allegedly not standing up, when the National Anthem was being played in a Defence establishment at nearby Wellington on April 13.

The FIR was filed based on a complaint by a teaching faculty member Rajneesh Singh Kaur of Defence Services Staff College that the reporter refused to stand up, thus disrespecting the national anthem, police said.

The incident occurred during the Convocation of 72nd Staff Course of the College in which Uttarakhand Governor Kishan Kant Paul attended, police said.

The reporter was found 'sitting carelessly,' and when questioned by senior officials he reportedly told them that he was not interested in standing up, the complaint said.

Wellington police had held preliminary inquiry yesterday with other media persons present at the function and is likely to summon 13 of them, to record their statement in a day or two, police said.

The College was also checking the invitees list, as there were three persons in excess than invited. The security persons are also being interrogated for the lapse for sending them in without valid entry pass, college sources said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the reporter failed, as his mobile number was not reachable.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)