Portal editor arrested for allegedly publishing defaming content about Olympian Dutee Chand

Two employees of a news portal have been arrested by Commissionerate Police Cuttack-Bhubaneswar for allegedly publishing defamatory and objectionable content against ace sprinter and Olympian Dutee Chand.

Police took the editor of the portal Sudhansu Rout into custody on Friday after Dutee lodged a police complaint against him and three other people including reporter of the website Smruti Ranjan Behera, who was arrested on Saturday. She had alleged that these people had been publishing defamatory and false news against her, which affected her performance in the Tokyo Olympics. She also brought allegations against a social activist Pradip Pradhan for spreading false information about her on social media.

Following her complaint, police registered a case under Section 292 (Obscene and indecent publication), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 509 (whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman) and Section 6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.