Tripura violence: SC stays criminal proceedings against journos

One-liner: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the criminal proceedings against two women journalists and media house booked by the Tripura police for their reporting on alleged communal violence in the State.

Proceedings stayed: The top court also stayed the proceedings against a third journalist, an Associate Editor in the same media house, who was recently summoned by the police in connection with the reports on violence.

• A bench issued notice to the Tripura govt and sought its response in four weeks on the plea of media house and journalists, seeking quashing of two FIRs lodged against them
• At the outset, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the journalists, said that they were picked up by the police pursuant to the FIR, and bail was granted but there is another FIR

Need to know: The plea said that if the State is allowed to criminalize the very act of fact-finding and unbiased reporting then the only facts that will come in the public domain are those that are convenient to the state.

• On Nov 17, the top court had directed the Tripura police not to take any action against the three civil society members, including a journalist, in connection with an FIR lodged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act  

Background: Recently, the north-eastern state witnessed incidents of arson, looting, and violence after reports emerged from Bangladesh that the Hindu minorities there had been attacked during Durga Puja on allegations of blasphemy. 

Source: PTI