The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the presence of a senior Delhi Police officer to explain allegations that women journalists were assaulted while covering the recent protests in the national capital, signalling judicial scrutiny of the alleged obstruction of media personnel performing their professional duties.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the observation after Senior Advocate Indira Jaising mentioned a petition filed by the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), seeking safeguards for journalists reporting from protest sites, with particular emphasis on the safety and dignity of women journalists.
The Chief Justice indicated that the Court wanted a senior police official to appear and respond to the allegations. The petition is scheduled to be taken up on Thursday alongside proceedings concerning the alleged police action during the protests.
Jaising informed the Court that prior notice had been served on the Solicitor General. During the same proceedings, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan mentioned a contempt petition filed by the Freedom Speech Collective, alleging that journalists had been assaulted in breach of the Supreme Court’s October 10 direction that mediapersons covering the protests should not be harassed. Senior Advocate Chander Uday Singh also brought a similar petition to the Court’s attention.
The NWMI’s writ petition seeks judicially enforceable safeguards to ensure that journalists can report on protests, public assemblies and other events of public importance without facing intimidation, arbitrary detention or physical force merely because of their presence at the scene.
The organisation has contended that the existing inquiry into alleged police excesses does not adequately address the specific concerns arising from journalists’ access to protest locations, their alleged detention or forcible removal, and the conditions necessary for independent reporting and newsgathering.
It has urged the Court to direct the Union Government to ensure that women journalists engaged in bona fide reporting are not subjected to physical handling, intimidation, arbitrary detention or forcible removal solely because they are present at or near a protest, crowd-control operation or public gathering.
The proceedings come against the backdrop of allegations of police excesses against journalists covering demonstrations in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
On October 11, the Supreme Court had directed that lawyers, journalists and other professionals should not be obstructed from discharging their professional responsibilities. The Court had also recorded the Solicitor General’s assurance that their work would not be impeded.
The latest petitions seek to ensure that the protection contemplated by the Court is translated into effective safeguards governing police conduct during protests and public-order operations.
The matter is expected to be considered further on Thursday.
The post Supreme Court seeks senior Delhi Police officer’s presence over alleged assault on women journalists appeared first on India Legal.