A journalist in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad has been booked over visuals of people queuing outside a gas agency – uploaded the same day that a 70-year-old man died of a suspected heart attack while waiting in queue for an LPG cylinder.

Anubhav Mishra, a reporter for Noida-based Hindi Khabar news channel, had received footage of an alleged cylinder shortage at Kamalganj’s gas agencies from a local stringer on March 13. He forwarded it to his channel’s WhatsApp group the same day. The visuals had originally been shot on March 11 by local stringers. Based on Mishra’s inputs, Hindi Khabar posted a tweet. 

However, the police contend that the visuals were misleading as they were two days old. An FIR was filed against the journalist at Farrukhabad’s Kamalganj police station on March 13 under Section 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita – related to public mischief through circulation of false content and rumour via electronic means. The outlet took down its tweet.

The Farrukhabad administration maintains there was no cylinder shortage and no crisis. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to ensure smooth LPG distribution and prevent panic. “The situation is not as serious as it is being portrayed through rumours,” he was quoted as saying in a Hindustan Times report.

Speaking with Newslaundry, Atul Agrawal, editor-in-chief of Hindi Khabar channel said it was the “reporter’s fault”. “Firstly, there were issues with the story, which was sent three days ago and a trainee had put out the tweet. Secondly, there was a lack of understanding of what the story was on part of our district reporter, Anubhav Mishra.”

Agrawal said the channel verified that “there was panic-buying of cylinders in Farrukhabad due to problems in the online booking system” once it received information about the possibility of an FIR. “We have done many negative stories against CM Yogi but in this particular case, I admit it was our reporter’s fault.”

The tweet and the FIR

Based on Mishra’s inputs, Hindi Khabar had posted a tweet about the alleged cylinder shortage in Farrukhabad, with a teaser showing people standing in a queue outside the Kamalganj gas agency. The post, since taken down, stated in Hindi:........

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