A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to lay down guidelines to protect press, media, journalists and its people from FIR being filed against them.
The plea has been filed by Advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay making Union of India, Press Council of India, Republic T.V, and Zee Media as a respondent party to it. Mr. Ghanshyam stated in his petition that “At present, some news channels are being targeted who expose the reasons and involvement of anti-social, anti-national persons behind the incident and several FIRS are being logged in different States to snub their voice to prevent them from awaking the citizens from such nefarious and dangerous activities of such elements.”
It has been alleged in the petition that the certain political parties which ruled the country for several decades and in the process, persons being on the high echelon of these political parties were perceived to be indulging in corruption, favoritism, and nepotism and thereby taking the nation backward, consider the media like that of Republic T.V. and Zee News to be their enemies for showing the reality of their corrupt practices to the public and performing their responsibility in true spirit.
Mr. Ghanshyam further added that no provision has been enacted to protect the freedom of press from frivolous and malicious prosecution and there is a complete vacuum on this subject.
Mr. Ghanshyam sought protection from FIRs against Media for the offenses punishable undersections 295A, 153, 153A, 153 B, 298, 500, 504, 505(2), 506 (2) r/w Section 120-B of I.P.C. and other similar provision/s in other statutes/s. He further seeks that the directions may be given to filing FIR only if it is sanctioned by the Press Council of India or any other Judicial authority as suited by the Court.
-India Legal Bureau