Sima Kotecha, an Indian reporter for BBC, canceled her live report after a man racially abused her before their air time.
The incident occurred on Sunday at Leicester city center. Kotecha was preparing her guests to comment on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s address regarding the gradual easing of the COVID-19 lockdown, according to NDTV.
However, before they could go live on national television, a man shouted “terrible things” to Kotecha so they had to cancel the report, she informed her followers on Twitter.
BBC also posted a statement regarding the incident on its Twitter page, saying, “While preparing to broadcast, our reporter, her production team and guests were subjected to racist and abusive behaviour. We are appalled by what happened and will be reporting the incident to the police. We will not tolerate racism or abuse of our staff.”
A day after reporting the incident to the Leicestershire Police, 50-year-old Russell Rawlingson was arrested at Glenfield Road, Leicester for using threatening, abusive and insulting words to harass, cause alarm and distress, Sky News reported.
Rawlingson pleaded not guilty when he appeared in Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, BBC reported. He posted bail and was required to appear in court on June 15.
Feature Image via @sima_kotecha
