EC orders FIR against Hindi daily for publishing Exit Poll

Lucknow: The editor-in-chief of a Hindi daily Dainik Jagran was arrested by the police on Tuesday after the Election Commission ordered lodging of FIRs against the leading daily and him for violating its order and publishing an exit poll on the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

EC also ordered an FIR against the management of Resource Development International (RDI), the company that conducted the exit poll which was published by Hindi daily Dainik Jagran.

EC had on January 27 barred the media from publication/broadcast of exit polls till the voting is over in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand.

The poll watchdog has directed the District Election Officers of the districts that observed voting in first phase on February 11, to immediately register cases against the managements of RDI and Dainik Jagran as well as the newspaper's Editor-in-Chief under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 126-A and 126-B of the Representation of People Act.

The offence under Section 126-A is punishable by imprisonment for up to two years or fine or both.

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Section 126-B says that if the offence is committed by an organisation, every person concern shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and face punishment.

UP, however, will go for polls in phase 2 on February 15 in 11 districts.