Delhi court upholds FIR against Sambit Patra, asks police not to name him as accused

A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed a revision petition filed by BJP leader Sambit Patra challenging a magisterial court's order to register an FIR against him in response to allegations that he had posted a doctored video of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal supporting the now-scrapped farm laws. 

While dismissing the petition, the sessions court directed the police to conduct an investigation without naming Patra as an accused. 

The court referred to the initial police report, which indicated that Patra had unknowingly uploaded the doctored video on a social media platform, but was not its originator.

The revision plea was filed against the order of a magisterial court that directed the police to register an FIR against Patra under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi. 

The MLA had claimed that the video contained statements contrary to the stance of the Delhi chief minister and AAP on the farm laws, causing discontent among farmers.

Assistant sessions judge Dheeraj Morm stated that there was no illegality in the magisterial court's order as he dismissed the revision petition. "The revision petition is hereby dismissed with directions to the SHO concerned to comply with the impugned order immediately in true letter and spirit except to name the petitioner (Patra) as an accused in the FIR,” the judge said.

The court said naming an accused is not essential for an FIR, as its main component is information about the commission of a cognisable offence. The court also noted that fake videos are a threat to society and law and order, and as such false propaganda may lead to "uncontrollable violence", and also stressed the need to address this issue effectively to maintain peace and harmony.