Fresh charges slapped on Yati Narsinghanand for abusing journalist

Fresh charges have been slapped on Yati Narsinghanand for abusing a journalist and photographer after being offended by a question they had asked during an interview.

The Dasna temple priest has already been sent to 14 days' judicial custody in the Dharma Sansad hate speech case.

The fresh charges were slapped on the Dasna temple head priest on the basis of a complaint filed by a journalist, Haridwar city police station SHO Rakinder Singh Kathait said.

Offended by a question asked during the interview on Saturday, Narsinghanand had allegedly threatened to have the journalist and the photographer accompanying him beaten up, he said.

The IPC sections imposed on him are 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation, officials said.

Narsinghanand has been arrested in connection with the Dharma Sansad case and booked under IPC sections 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).