National Desk
4 October
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a significant order stating that governments should not file criminal cases against journalists simply because their writings are viewed as criticism of the government. The ruling was made by a bench consisting of Justice Rishikesh Roy and Justice SVN Bhatti.
The bench emphasized that freedom of expression is an essential part of democratic societies, and journalists’ rights are protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. The order was pronounced during the hearing of a petition filed by journalist Abhishek Upadhyay. Upadhyay had requested the Supreme Court to quash the FIR registered against him in Uttar Pradesh for his report on “caste dynamics in the general administration” of the state.
In its order, the bench stated, “Merely because the writings of a journalist are taken as criticism of the government, a criminal case should not be registered against the writer.” Additionally, the court issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, seeking a response to the petition.
The court also directed that no punitive action should be taken against Upadhyay concerning the article in question until further orders. The next hearing is scheduled for four weeks later.