Aneesha Mathur : New Delhi, Sat Dec 14 2013,

Noting that allegations under Section 3 of the SC/ST Act were “very serious”, a Delhi court has sent the joint editor, a deputy chief of bureau and an accounts department employee of news agency UNI to jail after dismissing their bail pleas for allegedly making casteist remarks against a junior employee.

The court of additional sessions judge Daya Prakash on Thursday sent UNI joint editor Neeraj Bajpai, Univarta deputy chief of bureau Ashok Upadhyay and accounts department employee M L Joshi to judicial custody.

On Friday, lawyers for the accused approached Delhi High Court for bail.

A reply has been sought from police on their application and the matter will be heard on Tuesday.

An employee of the news agency had filed a complaint alleging that on March 14 this year, the three men had made casteist remarks against him when he had gone to Bajpai’s office to speak to him about an office memo regarding his leave of absence.

Police registered an FIR under Section 3 of the SC/ST Act but did not arrest the three men.

The chargesheet in the case was filed in November before the court of a metropolitan magistrate and interim bail was granted to the accused till the case was taken up by the sessions court. On being summoned to face trial, the trio filed bail applications.

“I have seen the challan, grounds of bail, documents pointed out by counsel for the accused persons and my inference is that application for bail of accused persons Neeraj Bajpai, Mohan Lal Joshi and Ashok Upadhyay be dismissed,” ASJ Daya Prakash said.

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