Editors Guild of India tells Supreme Court that Army ‘invited’ it to Manipur
The Hindu
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Monday told the Supreme Court that its team had visited Manipur on the Army’s invitation to make an “objective assessment” of the “unethical and ex parte reporting” by the vernacular media. The Chief Justice was puzzled why the Army wanted the EGI to go to Manipur.
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Monday told the Supreme Court that its team had visited Manipur on the Army’s invitation to make an “objective assessment” of the “unethical and ex parte reporting” by the vernacular media.
“We did not volunteer to go there. It is the Army that requested us. We got a letter from the Army,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for the EGI, submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud.
The Chief Justice was puzzled why the Army wanted the EGI to go to Manipur.
“They wanted us to make an objective assessment of what is happening on the ground… We published our report on September 2. On September 3 night, we were prosecuted for offences under the Indian Penal Code. The Chief Minister also makes statements against us… How can we be prosecuted for publication of a report,” Mr. Sibal asked the court.
The Chief Justice pointed out to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Manipur government, that this was a case in which the entire First Information Report (FIR) was based on a report by the EGI.
“It is a report after all. The basic question he [Sibal] is arguing is they have only done a report that may be a matter of their [EGI’s] subjective opinion… This is not a case of somebody on the ground having committed an offence… They have published a report,” the Chief Justice differentiated.
The Chief Justice further decided to examine Mr. Sibal’s request to allow the EGI to approach the Delhi High Court, instead of the Manipur High Court, with a plea to quash the FIRs. The court scheduled the case on September 15 for hearing on this point. Meanwhile, it extended its September 6 order protecting the journalists from arrest.
