Media One case | Supreme Court directs Centre to produce internal files

Centre had refused to renew licence of Kerala-based channel on grounds of national security

The Supreme Court on March 10 ordered the Centre to produce the “relevant files” based on which it refused to renew the licence of Kerala-based Media One TV channel on the grounds of “national security and public order”.

A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud issued formal notice to the government on an appeal filed by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, the media company that runs the channel. The court listed the case for hearing on March 15.

The government will on March 15 have to respond on the interim relief sought by the channel to resume its broadcast.

The media company has challenged a Kerala High Court decision upholding the government’s move to not renew the licence of the TV channel.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, advocates Haris Beeran and Pallavi Pratap, for the channel, said the renewal of licence was “a matter of right” as it had not faced a single complaint from the government in the past 10 years of its existence.

“The government did not show any details based on which the decision was made to revoke my licence. They just wave the wand of national security,” Mr. Dave submitted.

“The government shall produce relevant files on which reliance was placed by the High Court in its judgment,” Justice Chandrachud observed in the order.