Court to hear on false TV sting on 15 November

Court to hear on false TV sting on 15 November

NEW DELHI: Discharging school teacher Uma Khurana who had been accused in a fake sting operation on a prostitution racket, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Alok Aggarwal today fixed 15 November for argument on charges against the other three accused -- tv reporters Prakash Singh and Rashmi Singh, and Virender Arora.

The police have charged the trio for criminal conspiracy for using forged electronic record. 

The teacher has been discharged following a report by Delhi Police that it had no evidence against her. 

Delhi Police had informed the court two days earlier that it had filed the first charge-sheet against the television channel reporters and Arora who also took part in the false sting. 

In its final investigation report, the Delhi Police had told Aggarwal that no substantial evidence had been found against Khurana for her trial under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act. 

The sting two months ago purportedly showed the 41-year-old teacher forcing her girl students into prostitution and pornography. Following the telecast, an angry mob had attacked the school, torched several vehicles parked on the road, and manhandled the teacher. She was dismissed from service by the Delhi government on 1 September and arrested the next day.

A week later, it was discovered that the operation was a hoax and the girl 'victim' shown in the TV sting was, in fact, TV journalist Rashmi Singh. Khurana was granted bail on 11 September.

Prakash Singh was arrested and booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to cheating and criminal conspiracy.