Police on Saturday booked a reporter and a cameraman of a news channel on a complaint by Karnataka minister Tanvir Sait, who was allegedly caught looking at sleazy pictures on his phone at a public function.
The case was registered against the scribe and the cameraman, who had taken the controversial footage, even as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said action will be taken against the minister if an inquiry finds him guilty.
"A case has been registered against the district reporter and cameraman of a news channel based on the complaint by the Minister," Additional Superintendent of Police(Raichur) S B Patil said.
He said the case has been filed under the Indian Penal Code section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).
Sait, who is the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, landed in a controversy on Thursday after video footage emerged showing him purportedly watching pictures of skimpily clad girls on his mobile on dais at a public function to mark Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Raichur district.
Responding to a question on the case being registered against journalists, Siddaramaiah said he was not aware of it.
"I'm not aware of it... I will speak to him (Sait)," he said.
The Chief Minister on Saturday once again reiterated that he has sought a report, on the basis of which an inquiry will be conducted before taking any action.
"I'm not defending anyone, what is important is whether the mistake has been committed or not. I don't want innocents to get punished, whoever it is, whichever party the person may belong to," Siddaramaih told reporters at Hubballi.
He said, "If Tanvir Sait has committed a mistake, it is a mistake. What I have said is let us get a report on that let us conduct an inquiry and if mistake is proved let us take action."
Asked who has been asked to submit a report, Siddaramaih said, "I will get report from Tanvir Sait, but I will get it inquired. Will not accept the report he submits as it is."
He also said Sait, who spoke to him, has claimed that he was only scrolling through messages received on whatsapp and someone had posted the pictures there purposefully.
(With PTI inputs)
