This is a formal, strong, and legally grounded objection to the false, misleading, and defamatory content published by the Instagram handle @aajkafrontpage, operated from Indore, concerning Mr. Nitin Rajdev.
The said Instagram page irresponsibly circulated a video of Mr. Nitin Rajdev, creating a false and misleading narrative that has no basis in fact. The video in question was recorded in Goa, where the activity shown (hookah consumption) is legal and permissible under local law. At no point was this incident connected to Indore, nor does it involve any unlawful act within the jurisdiction of Madhya Pradesh.
Despite this, @aajkafrontpage deliberately or negligently presented the content in a manner that falsely associates the individual with wrongdoing, thereby misleading the public and causing serious reputational harm.
Let this be stated clearly:
- The incident did not occur in Indore
- The activity shown is legal in Goa
- The content has no public interest relevance to Indore
- The individual was defamed through contextual misrepresentation
Such conduct is a gross violation of the Press Council of India’s Norms of Journalistic Conduct, which mandate fact verification, contextual accuracy, and avoidance of defamatory reporting. This also attracts liability under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (Defamation) and constitutes a failure of due diligence under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Freedom of expression does not include the freedom to distort facts, defame individuals, or manufacture outrage for engagement. What has been done here is not journalism—it is reckless sensationalism.
We therefore demand immediate corrective action, including:
- Immediate removal of the defamatory video and related posts from the Instagram handle @aajkafrontpage
- A public clarification stating that:
- The video was recorded in Goa
- The activity shown is legal there
- The individual has no connection to any illegal activity in Indore
- A public apology issued with equal prominence to the original post
Failure to comply will leave no option but to initiate formal legal proceedings, including:
- Filing a complaint before the Press Council of India
- Issuing a legal notice for criminal and civil defamation
- Pursuing remedies under applicable IT and criminal laws
The responsibility now rests entirely with the operators of @aajkafrontpage to correct this wrongdoing and prevent further harm.
