Journalist Aman Chopra on Monday said that the Jharkhand Police had filed a first information report against him after he filmed a student at a hospital who had been on a hunger strike against the alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations for government jobs.

Chopra is a journalist with News18 India and also runs a YouTube channel named The Aman Podcast. The FIR appears to relate to footage he published on his YouTube show.

A purported copy of the FIR shared on social media showed that Chopra was booked for entering the High Dependency Unit of Sadar Hospital in Ranchi on Saturday and recording videos.

He allegedly entered the sensitive medical area without authorisation and was not following infection-control and patient-safety protocols. The complaint sought an investigation into whether any patient or private medical information was recorded or published without consent.

In a video posted on social media on Monday, Chopra said he was detained by the police while he was having breakfast. He added that he was questioned for nearly two hours before the police provided him with a copy of the FIR.

He claimed that other journalists covering the protests and the march towards the Jharkhand Assembly were also detained and questioned.

“The Jharkhand government is worried that the truth will be exposed,” he said. “That is why it is stopping journalists from doing their work. The FIR is the price we have to pay for doing our job.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was monitoring the police investigation against Chopra.

It called “for a transparent and proportionate investigation that does not obstruct legitimate journalism”.

March to Assembly

As the protest against exam irregularities entered its 17th day, thousands of students marched towards the Assembly on Monday. Several of them were injured after the police lathi-charged them and fired tear gas.

Despite the action, protesters breached several barricades and reached the Assembly premises. The House had already been adjourned for the day.

The protests in Jharkhand began on July 25, inspired by the agitation across the country against the alleged mismanagement of national competitive exams. The protesters have been holding a sit-in at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, with six demonstrators on fast.

The protesters have demanded the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Combined Preliminary Test held on April 19.

They have also sought inquiries by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission.

On Sunday, the Jharkhand government agreed to cancel three examinations, including the Jharkhand Public Service Commission Combined Civil Services.

However, students have continued their protest, demanding that the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level examination is also cancelled and a probe by the CBI into all state public commission tests.

The government has refused to cancel the graduate-level examination, saying that it was conducted under the monitoring of the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand High Court. It has instead proposed a high-level judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge to investigate allegations related to the examination.

Written by Sara Varghese. Edited by Sneha.

We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.