Lucknow, Mar 24 (IANS): A man, claiming to be a journalist, has been booked for spreading defamatory fake news against a senior IAS officer on whose complaint, an FIR was lodged at the Hazratganj police station.

The FIR was registered late Wednesday night. Additional chief secretary (ACS), information, Navneet Sehgal said in his complaint that one Anoop Gupta has been maligning his image by spreading false defamatory information which is damaging his reputation, prestige, dignity, and respect.

"It has been observed for a long time that the accused Anoop Gupta, who claims to be a journalist, is deliberately spreading false news against me. The accused is misusing his profession as a journalist to misguide the public at large via various online mediums to spread fake news," Sehgal said in the complaint.

Police said the accused had posted a video on YouTube levelling false allegations against the officer.

Station House officer (SHO), Hazratganj, Shyam Babu, said an FIR has been lodged against Gupta on the charges of punishment for defamation, intentional insult, punishment for criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, and under IT Act.