Viral audio case: Odisha HC grants interim protection to three staff of pvt TV channel

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court today granted interim protection from arrest to three employees of a private TV channel in connection with an alleged misleading viral audio case.

Hearing anticipatory bail pleas moved by the three employees of the private TV channel, a bench of Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash said the trio will not be arrested. The single Judge bench also directed them to cooperate with the police in the probe.

The court posted its hearing of the case after three weeks.

Earlier, two persons, who were arrested for allegedly spreading rumours about the management of the coronavirus pandemic in Odisha, were released on bail.

On basis of the complaints filed by the authorities of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, the two persons, including the one who recently recovered from COVID-19, were arrested

The BMC further complained that an audio clip of a conversation between two persons, containing misleading information about the coronavirus pandemic, went viral on social media and was posted by a private TV channel on social media.

A case was registered under various sections of the IPC, the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act on August 7 at Capital Police Station.