New Delhi. The case of alleged assault and misconduct with women journalists during the coverage of the recent protests in Delhi has reached the Supreme Court. Taking suo motu cognizance of the case, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed a senior Delhi Police officer to appear in the court in person and give clarification on these serious allegations. The court has scheduled the next hearing of this case for Thursday.
Hearing in Supreme Court and arguments of senior advocates
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing before the Chief Justice, specifically mentioned the petition of ‘Network of Women in Media, India’ (NWMI). In this petition, strict arrangements have been made to ensure the safety of women journalists covering the protests. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the CJI said that he wants a senior officer of Delhi Police to be present in the court and clarify the entire situation. The court also said that the police will have to file its reply on all these allegations.
Apart from this, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan also mentioned a contempt petition filed by ‘Freedom Speech Collective’. It has been alleged in the petition that by assaulting the media persons, the policemen have openly violated the order of the Supreme Court of October 10, in which clear instructions were given that the media persons covering the protests should not be harassed or obstructed in any way. Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh also raised the issue of alleged police action against journalists at the protest sites, citing other similar petitions.
Major demands of the petitioner organization
The petitioner organizations have demanded from the Central Government and the concerned administrative machinery that women journalists reporting impartially should not face unnecessary harassment during any public meeting, demonstration or crowd control action. The petition demands that journalists be provided complete protection from actions like physical harassment, intimidation, arbitrary detention etc. The Supreme will now hold a detailed hearing on this important matter on Thursday.
