Churu: FIR slapped on local journalist who recorded DSP hitting lady constable on the back

After the video of the Churu DSP slapping a woman constable on the back to catch her attention went viral, an FIR has now been lodged against journalist Akhter Mugal who recorded the incident.

Mugal had gone live on Facebook from the collectorate gate during Congress’s ‘Halla Bol’ rally on June 9, and recorded DSP Sunil Jhajharia slapping a woman constable on her back as she could not hear him the first time. After the video went viral, the SP’s act drew sharp criticism from various quarters with Nagaur BJP MP Hanuman Beniwal demanding his suspension. Several major news outlets ran the story, questioning the DSP’s behaviour and demanding an explanation from the police department.

The FIR against Mugal was lodged on the basis of a complaint by the woman constable who alleged that the journalist had edited and distorted the video and made it go viral without her permission. The FIR (139/2025) against Mughal and others in Kotwali Churu mentions Section 352 and 79 of BNS and Section 72 of IT Act. These people were accused of sharing the edited video with the intention of defaming Rajasthan Police.

The claim by Churu Police that the video had been edited has already been debunked by Alt News. Readers should note that videos broadcast live on Facebook can not be edited.

Mugal released a video on June 17 narrating his ordeal after the FIR was registered. He says in the video that he was called to the police station by inspector Sukh Ram Chotiya on June 14, where his mobile phone was confiscated. During this, he was forced to sign on four blank papers, his mother and sister were abused and he was also threatened with imprisonment.

Mugal, the readers should note, is a journalist with limited resources. He delivers newspapers from door to door in the mornings and spends the rest of his day reporting for local newspapers. His mobile phone is an essential tool for his work, helping him connect with sources and stay informed about local events. With his phone confiscated, Mugal has not only found it difficult to connect with his friends and other contacts, but has also been left without work.

Senior local journalist from Churu, J P Joshi, told Alt News that Akhter Mugal was just doing his job when he recorded the SP’s act on Facebook Live. Noting that he had been treated unfairly, Joshi sated that it was not the job of the police to abuse someone and make them sign on a blank papers. The entire journalist community should unite against such hooliganism and demand action, he added.

Another local journalist told Alt News that notices had been served on two channels through a lawyer for playing the concerned video. He further noted that an attempt was being made to curb the freedom of journalists, which was unprecedented in Churu. The administration wanted the media to follow their diktats, but that cannot happen; the media will have to be impartial, he observed.

Alt News contacted Churu SP Jai Yadav over phone. As soon as we mentioned the case of journalist Akhtar Mughal, the SP disconnected the call and blocked our number.