हेमंत तिवारी ने टीओआई को नोटिस भेजा

अपने बारे में गलत खबर प्रकाशित किए जाने से खफा वरिष्ठ पत्रकार हेमंत तिवारी ने टाइम्स आफ इंडिया प्रबंधन को नोटिस भेजा है। इस नोटिस में कहा गया है कि उनके बारे में जो बेबुनियाद और मनगढंत खबर प्रकाशित हुई है, उससे उनकी छवि को धक्का लगा है। उन्होंने टीओआई प्रबंधन से खंडन प्रकाशित करने और क्षमा याचना करने की मांग की है। हेमंत ने भड़ास4मीडिया को भी एक पत्र भेजकर वस्तुस्थिति से अवगत कराया है।

हेमंत द्वारा भड़ास4मीडिया और टीओआई प्रबंधन को भेजे गए पत्र इस प्रकार हैं-

संपादक

भड़ास4मीडिया

देश के प्रतिष्ठित समाचार पत्र टाइम्स आफ इण्डिया,  लखनऊ संस्करण में विगत दिनों सरोजनी नगर क्षेत्र के पुलिस क्षेत्राधिकारी द्वारा मेरे साथ किये गये अशिष्ट व्यवहार के प्रकरण को लेकर जिस तरह समाचार का प्रकाशन किया गया, उससे मैं अत्यंत आहत और व्यथित हूं। इस विषय में पिछले दिनों भड़ास4मीडिया द्वारा मेरा पक्ष जानना चाहा गया, जिस पर मैंने वस्तुस्थिति विषयक समस्त तथ्य भड़ास4मीडिया को बता दिये थे। इस सिलसिले में मैंने टाइम्स आफ इण्डिया प्रबंधन को भी विस्तारपूर्वक जानकारी देते हुए प्रकाशित समाचार में प्रस्तुत समस्त मिथ्या और दुराग्रहपूर्ण बिन्दुओं पर न सिर्फ सफाई मांगी थी बल्कि उनसे आग्रह किया था कि वे क्षमा याचना सहित सही तथ्यों का प्रकाशन करें ताकि पत्रकारिता के मान्य और स्वीकार्य मापदण्डों पर न सिर्फ पत्रकारों अपितु आम पाठकों का भी भरोसा बना रहे। अपने करीब पच्चीस वर्षों के पत्रकारिता के जीवन में हजारों खबरें मैंने स्वयं लिखी है लेकिन शायद कभी ऐसा अवसर नहीं आया जब मेरे किसी एक समाचार पर तथ्यों की जांच किये बिना कुछ लिखने का आरोप लगा हो।

हमें पत्रकारिता की एबीसीडी सिखाते वक्त यही बताया गया था कि किसी भी खबर में यदि किसी पर कोई भी आरोप लगे चाहे वह कितना ही तर्कपूर्ण क्यों न हो,  सम्बंधित व्यक्ति का पक्ष जाने बिना समाचार के प्रकाशन से परहेज किया जाये। यदि किसी कारण वश सम्बंधित पक्ष नहीं प्राप्त होता है तो व्यावहारिक तौर पर यह लिख दिया जाता है कि पक्ष जानने का प्रयास किया गया लेकिन कोई प्रतिक्रिया या टिप्पणी नही मिली।

यहां एक बात साफ करना चाहूंगा कि यदि उक्त मीडिया संस्थान के एक वरिष्ठ पत्रकार को मुझसे निजी खुन्नस निकालनी है तो उसके लिए उन्हें देश के प्रतिष्ठित समाचार पत्र का सहारा नहीं लेना चाहिए था क्योंकि इससे समूची पत्रकार बिरादरी बदनाम होती है और एक बड़े अखबार के सम्मान को भी ठेस पहुंचती है।

अत्यंत दुर्भाग्य की बात है कि अपने आप को पत्रकारिता का पुरोधा माने जाने वाले समाचार पत्र टाइम्स आफ इण्डिया के संवाददाता ने इस प्रकरण में न केवल एक पक्षीय मनगढंत और दुर्भावनापूर्ण ढंग से समाचार का प्रकाशन किया बल्कि पत्रकारिता के निम्नतम मान बिन्दुओं का भी उल्लंघन किया है। इस सम्बंध में मैंने टाइम्स आफ इण्डिया को जो नोटिस भेजा है उसके परिप्रेक्ष्य में उम्मीद करता हूं कि वे अपनी गलतियों को सुधार कर तत्काल क्षमा याचना सहित सही तथ्यों का प्रकाशन करके पत्रकारिता के साथ न्याय करेंगे।

सधन्यवाद!

भवनिष्ठ,

हेमन्त तिवारी

To,

1 Mr. V.P. Sahi

Printer & Publisher, The Times of India

16, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow.

2. Mr. Atul Chandra

Editor, Lucknow Market, The Times Of India

16, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow

Sir,

Kindly refer to a news item published on page-5 of the Times of India, Lucknow edition dated- 11/08/09 under the caption/ heading “cop pays for ‘challenging’  powerful scribe”.

In this regard I, Hemant Tiwari, would like to bring true and relevant facts. The fact of the matter is that on 7th of august 2009 at about 10 p.m. I along with Mr. Deoki Nandan Mishra, principal correspondent of hindi daily, rashtriya sahara, went to gyani dhaba situated within the area  of P.S. Sarojni Nagar for dinner. My Driver had just parked my vehicle and we had stepped out to have a seat in the dhaba, a vehicle  (Honda city car) bearing registration no. UP 32 BT 8333 dashed my vehicle and sped away. We did not want to make this accident an issue, however we kept on discussing that in our state we can not have the names of registered owners of the vehicle so promptly if some accident or mishappenings takes place as the same facility is available in the state like Maharashtra. Keeping this issue in mind we, as vigilant citizens of the country and journalists having vast experience, my friend Deoki Nandan Mishra made a call to Mr. Brij Lal, ADG, Law and order and said as to why aren’t we get the identity of registered owner of the vehicle who does such negligent act. Mr. Brij Lal asked as to what had happened and then Mr. Mishra told him the entire episode. After 10 minutes Mr. Abhishek Sirohi, S.O., Sarojni  Nagar along with several constables reached the sopt and started enquiring but in the mean time the C.O. Mr. Rajesh Kumar Singh made a call on the CUG Number  of the S.O. who handed over his cell phone to Mr. Deoki Nandan Mishra and said that C.O. sahab want to talk to him. The C.O. in loud voice shouted on Mr. Mishra and said how dare you talk to ADG Brij Lal. On this Mr. Mishra told C.O. that talking to Mr. Brij Lal is not so crime and moreover, you being a gadzetted officer should not use such a harsh language.  Thereafter, he started using abusive language not only against us but also his superior officer like Mr. Brij Lal. There after I made a call from my mobile to Mr. Brij Lal and told him that although the S.O.  has reached the spot so promptly and functioning efficiently in the matter but the C.O.  has not only misbehaved on the phone but has also used abusive language against you. After some time the C.O.  made a call on Mr. Misha’s number, used abusive language for me and said who is this Hemant Tiwari who dared to make a complaint against me Mr. Brij Lal and he further enquired about my residential address. On this Mr. Mishra handed over the cell phone  to me and I in most respectful manner, said that you being a gadzetted officer having a responsible post should not use such a harsh, abusive and indecent language. The C.O. kept on abusing and threatening and ultimately I had to cut off the call. The C.O.  tried to made several calls thereafter, but we did not pickup the phone. However I made a last attempt by calling Mr. Brij Lal,  Mr. A.K.  Jain, I.G. Range and Mr. Prem Prakash D.I.G./ SSP, lucknow and informed the entire episode in the detail and requested them that the C.O. appears to be heavily drunk and he may create a scene at my residence therefore he may be directed to not to do so and his medical examination be conducted. In the morning when I got up I came to know through a local daily ”Hindustan” that the C.O.  had come to buttler palace colony in a drunken state, made several fires and created havoc in the vicinity. An enquiry was conducted by the I.G. Range, Lucknow where I was summoned and my version was recorded. In the enquiry the versions of certain relevant persons were also recorded and ultimately the C.O. was found at fault. The state government after considering the enquiry report of such a high and responsible officers, took a view that that the C.O. should be transferred to non district executive force(non DEF) and further an adverse remark should be given in his service book.

Ignoring and overlooking the true facts and without taking versions who were aggrieved in the matter and also without taking any comments from senior officers like ADG, Law and order I.G. Range , Lucknow, the news item in question has been published in the news paper in a most biased and negligent manner. You have published that we had misbehaved with the S.O., Sarojni Nagar and the C.O.  In this regard I would like to seek an explanation that in what basis you have reported that we have misbehaved. Is there any written report in this regard or any version of these officers?

Secondly it has been published that the entire police department was of this view that a case should have been registered against me for manhandling public servant(police). In reply to this I would like to say that is it practically possible for a single person to manhandle and threaten a police officer with his team of 7-8 constables and that too fully armed and moreover what was the rider for getting a Criminal Law Amendment Act. On the contrary, if the version of the station officer would have been taken by your correspondent, the picture would have been clear and you could have come to this conclusion that we were innocent and the C.O. was at fault as is evident from the enquiry conducted in this matter.

Thirdly, it has been published that I entered into a heated argument with a city businessman. In this regard I would like to submit that if your correspondent had taken my version I would have shown and established that the said city businessman had not stopped after hitting my vehicle and practically and physically I had no conversation with the same person. In this regard I would like to submit that I met the city businessman namely, Mr. Sudhakar Dwivedi for the first time on 11/08/09.

Fourthly, it has been published that I misbehaved with the S.O. in an inebriated condition and also tried to grab him by his collar. In this regard I fail to understand as to on what basis such a defamatory and damaging lines have been written. Is there version of the S.O.? is there any medical report to say that I was in an inebriated condition? Is it a finding of the enquiry report?

Lastly, it has been published that I repeatedly abused the C.O. and threatened him to get stripped of his uniform. In this regard I would like to submit that I should be made aware of the material or source on the basis of which such defamatory and derogatory language  has been used against me.

I would like to submit that I have spent as many as 25 years in the field of esteemed profession of journalism and presently holding the post of secretary, U.P. Accredited correspondents committee. In such a long career I have not come across in such a news item where the derogatory and defamatory language has been used against a responsible journalist without following the settled and basic norms of the profession like disclosing the source or talking versions of the relevant and concerned persons.

You are hereby called upon and requested through this letter to look into this matter promptly and publish a corrigendum immediately otherwise, I would be having no other option but to initiate criminal and civil proceeding as provided under the law for publishing such a defamatory and derogatory language which has lowered down the honour, reputation and prestige of mine in the society to a great extent. A prompt response in this matter will be highly appreciated.

Thanking you

Hemant Tewari

B-7, Butlar Palace,

Lucknow