ALLOWING STATE TO CRIMINALIZE UNBIASED REPORTING WILL ONLY RESULT IN STATE CONVENIENT FACTS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN - HW NETWORK

The media company Theos Connect (HW News Network), and two of its journalists Samridhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, and its Associate Editor Arti Ghargi approached the Top Court challenging the FIR reports filed by the Tripura police against the above on the ground of promoting enmity between communities and initiating communal hatred by publishing baseless news about communal violence. 

The petitioners argued that they were reporting the facts based on versions given by the victims and complaints raised during the attack on mosques and minority communities during a VHP rally on October 26, 2021, in the North Tripura District. 

The petitioners argued that if State is allowed to criminalize unbiased reporting, then only the State’s convenient facts will come in the Public domain. They further argued that it is clear that the FIRs registered against them are inspired by politics. And such FIRs amount to "targeted harassment of the press." 

The Two journalists informed the court that after a complaint was filed against the two for delivering instigating speeches against Hindu, the Police at their hotel and kept them in the hotel lobby till the next morning without any warrant. Thereafter, an FIR was filed on the ground of criminal conspiracy to provoke a breach of peace. They further argued that on their way to Delhi, the Assam police detained them on the pretext of some other complaint against them. They were granted bail by a court. 

They submitted that the petitioners and their media company faced immense pressure from the court. And when Associate Editor Arti Ghargi tried to approach the police through CrPC, she was intimidated and neglected for wrongful gains. 

The Petitioners sought to quash the FIRs registered against them. 

Author: Papiha Ghoshal