The Supreme Court has extended its interim protection to four members of the Editors Guild of India, in connection with the two cases lodged against them over their fact-finding report.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said it would extend the operation of its directions – which were issued on September 6 and asked the Manipur police not to take any coercive action against the four – until Friday when it next hears the case. The guild had approached the apex court seeking relief.
The report was published on September 2 and prepared by senior journalists Bharat Bhushan, Sanjay Kapoor and Seema Guha. The three were in Manipur from August 7 to August 10 and had spoken to journalists and other stakeholders from the hills and the valley. The report said that media outlets in the valley have “seemingly become Meitei media”.
Two FIRs were filed against the three members and the guild’s president, for alleged defamation and promoting enmity.
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Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh had also hit out at the guild. “I give a warning to the members of the Editors Guild. Who constituted them? If you want to do something, then do visit the spot, see the ground reality, meet the representatives of all communities and then publish what you found. Otherwise, meeting some sections only and coming to a conclusion is highly condemnable.”
Urging the Manipur government to close the FIRs, the guild later said that the underlying idea of the report was to “enable introspection and reflection on the media’s conduct in such a sensitive situation”. It further said the CM’s “labelling” of the journalist body as “anti-state” and “anti-national” is deeply disturbing.
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