Rohit Ranjan was arrested days after the channel ran a misleading news item on Rahul Gandhi.
Zee TV news anchor Rohit Ranjan was arrested for questioning and has since been released, said the Uttar Pradesh police, whose personnel were caught on camera this morning fighting and jostling with their Chhattisgarjh counterparts for his custody.
Rohit Ranjan was arrested days after the channel ran a misleading news item on Congress's Rahul Gandhi, for which the channel had apologised.
This evening, the police of UP's Gautam Budh Nagar said a complaint was registered against him under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code, which involves making statements conducive to public mischief. Since it is a bailable offence, he was released on bail after questioning, the police said.
It is not yet known who was the complainant in the matter.
Cases were filed in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh after Rohit Ranjan, on his show, played a Rahul Gandhi statement on an attack on his office in Kerala's Wayanad, allegedly running it as a comment on the killers of a tailor in Udaipur.
This morning, when the Chhattisgarh police arrived to arrest him, the news anchor tweeted asking the UP police for help. The Chhattisgarh police, he claimed, had not informed the local police, and tagged UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his tweet.
"There is no such rule to inform. Still, now they are informed. Police team has shown you court's warrant of arrest. You should in fact cooperate, join in investigation and put your defence in court," read the response of the Chhattisgarh Police.
Later, a dramatic video emerged that showed the police of two states battling for his custody, which ended with the UP police taking him away on a lighter charge.