NEW DELHI:  A Delhi court on Wednesday stayed the operation of an order directing Delhi Police to register an FIR against BJP leader Sambit Patra for allegedly posting a doctored video of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on social media, in which he was seen speaking about the farm laws.

While hearing the revision petition of Patra, Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Sharma of the Tis Hazari Court issued a notice in the matter saying the operation of the earlier order is stayed for the time being.

In the revision petition, the BJP leader contended that the earlier court order failed to take into account the real meaning of manipulated media and equated the same with forgery. “If any tweet is branded as manipulated media, it has one and simple meaning that the media is not authenticated one and it is for the persons who read it to rely upon it with caution,” his plea stated.

Further hearing in the matter will be on January 10, 2022.

The revision petition of Patra comes after Metropolitan Magistrate Rishabh Kapoor of Tis Hazari Court on November 23 ordered registration of FIR against him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), allowing a complaint of Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi.

As per the petitioner, the accused fraudulently and knowingly forged the original video and uploaded the false, fabricated, and tampered video on social media with the only intention to incite members of the society against the complainant and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The plea stated that, since the complaint clearly disclosed the commission of a cognizable offence, it is the utmost duty of the police officials receiving the complaint to register an FIR under relevant provisions of law.

Even otherwise, it is a settled law that whenever information is laid before the police officer regarding the commission of cognizable offence, the said police officer has no option but to immediately register an FIR, the plea read.