ABP Majha journalist Rahul Kulkarni who was arrested for allegedly spreading misinformation about trains that led to a huge gathering of migrant labourers outside Bandra Railway station, has been granted bail by a Mumbai court on Thursday, reported ANI.
Maharashtra police had detained the ABP Majha reporter from his home town Osmanabad on Wednesday. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Twitter had said, "Police arrested journalist Rahul Kulkarni for giving news report, due to which rumour was spread."
In a news report on Tuesday morning, Kulkarni had said that Jan Sadharan special trains would be run for people stranded due to the lockdown. However, Kulkarni in his tweet said that during his reportage he never said when the trains would start. He also said that his report was based on a circular issued by the office of the chief commercial manager, Ministry of Railways.
On Wednesday, ABP Majha Editor Rajeev Khandekar, condemned the arrest and defended Kulkarni. He said that the reporting was based on an internal communication of the South-Central Zone of the Ministry of Railways which had been acquired by the reporter.
"This news was given on ABP Majha on the last day of the lockdown at 9 am. The report was based on the Railways' meeting to decide upon a proposal to help stranded migrants," he explained.
ABP Majha's official statement had said, "To insinuate that our running of the story and the updates thereafter amount to a criminal act is outrageous. We are shocked and dismayed that our reporter Mr. Rahul Kulkarni has been arrested in connection with the story. We will be taking necessary and immediate steps in law."
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, over a 1,000 migrants from different parts of India thronged near the Bandra railway station demanding that they should be given transportation to return to their native places immediately. This was only hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the coronavirus-enforced lockdown till May 3. The Police had to resort to mild force to scatter the crowd.
