A Gurugram court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of journalist and TV news anchor Chitra Tripathi after the issuance of an arrest warrant against her earlier this month in connection with a POCSO case.
The arrest warrant was issued after the court cancelled her bail and denied her request for exemption from personal appearance.
Tripathi had claimed she was unable to attend court due to her travel to Maharashtra to cover the state elections and interview Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
In her anticipatory bail application, Tripathi’s counsel reiterated these grounds, arguing that her professional commitments as Vice President of ABP News required her to travel. The plea was supported with photographs of Tripathi interviewing Pawar aboard an aeroplane and travel documents as evidence.
However, the Special Public Prosecutor opposed the bail request, stating that Tripathi could have sought an exemption after appearing in court, given that her interview schedule would have been pre-determined. The prosecutor argued that her consistent disregard for judicial processes disqualified her from such relief.
The judge clarified that Tripathi’s only options were to file a surrender-cum-bail application with the current court or approach the High Court for anticipatory bail. As a result, the application was dismissed.
Allegations against Tripathi
The allegations against Tripathi involve the broadcast of allegedly morphed and obscene videos of a ten-year-old girl and her family, linking the content to a sexual assault case involving self-styled godman Asaram Bapu. She faces charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, the IT Act, and the POCSO Act, including criminal conspiracy, forgery, and the publication of sexually explicit content involving a child.