A television anchorman in India was arrested for allegedly spreading “fake news” by misquoting opposition leader Rahul Gandhi who had commented on student demonstrators targeting his home for vandalism.

Rohit Ranjan of India’s Zee News was taken in by police, but not before he had had the opportunity to actually watch his own arrest unfold and post about it on social media. In a comic “Keystones Cops” moment, local authorities had tried to arrest Ranhan, but because they hadn’t informed Uttar Pradesh provincial authorities of the intention to arrest beforehand, they were prevented from actually going forward, and everything was captured on camera. The jurisdictional squabble was eventually resolved when a third-party police force came in to make the arrest.

The controversy started when police received a complaint filed under India’s media laws after Ranjan allegedly manipulated a videotaped comment from Rahul Gandhi during one of the news broadcasts.

According to Breitbart, Gandhi, who made headlines in June due to an unrelated political scandal [involving money laundering], was targeted for vandalism last week by student demonstrators agitated by an Indian Supreme Court decision related to environmentalist restrictions on land use. The protesters trashed Gandhi’s regional office in Wayanad last Monday.

Rather magnanimously, Ganghi responded to the incident with “The children who did this have acted in an irresponsible way. They are kids, forgive them.” Read more