FIR lodged for using Smriti Irani’s picture in real estate advertisement

Amethi, January 23

An FIR has been lodged against unidentified people on a complaint by Union Minister Smriti Irani’s aide who said that her photograph was used by a real estate developer in an advertisement without her consent.

Irani’s private secretary Vijay Gupta had written to SP Khyati Garg complaining that a local paper had published an advertisement by Sai Green City, Jagdishpur, in which photographs, names and designations of some eminent  people, including Irani, were used to sell plots.

The SP said, “The letter in this connection said the name and picture of the minister has been used in the advertisement without her consent to attract buyers.””

The letter demands action and an FIR has been lodged at Jagdishpur police station against unidentified people and investigations begun.

Virendra Vidhi, the managing director of the Sai Green City, his partner Sonu Yagya Saini, gram pradhan Abhay Pratap Singh and others are being questioned.

Police officials said using the picture, name and post of a people’s representative without his/her consent is a crime.

Besides Irani, the name and picture of Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Pasi and outgoing district unit president of the BJP Durgesh Tripathi have also been used.

Congress leader and MLC Dipak Singh had highlighted the matter through a tweet saying it had not yet been a year since Irani won the Amethi seat and she was already selling plots by giving advertisements in newspapers. IANS