Title: Lok Shikshan Trust & Others And Davalsab S/O Malliksab Nadaf
Case No: CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 100541 OF 2020
Date of Order: 24-07-2023
CORAM: HON’BLE JUSTICE V SRISHANANDA
INTRODUCTION
The Karnataka High Court has said that journalists, print and electronic media cater to the needs of the general public by publishing important news items and they owe a social responsibility to maintain peace and tranquillity.
FACTS OF THE CASE
Advocates’ associations in the State passed a resolution, stating that they would not defend journalists booked under various IPC provisions in different police station limits across the State. This issue gained significant attention, even in the assembly, where one legislator criticized the resolution, calling it a ‘Taliban Mentality’. Print media covered the discussion, but some publications used inappropriate language, including referring to the advocates’ fraternity as having a ‘Goonda Mentality’. Some papers also quoted the legislative assembly member’s statement, labeling the resolution as ‘Taliban Mentality’.
COURT ANALYSIS
A single judge bench of Justice V Srishananda sitting at Dharwad said publication of news items has wide implications on the society at large and therefore, reports carried out in the print and electronic media are required to be strictly in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Press Council of India.
It said, “Using the words ‘Taliban’, ‘Goonda’, ‘Pundatike’ are per se intolerable and beyond the scope of the guidelines issued by the Press Council of India…Members of the print and electronic media are expected to carry news items in a most decent manner.”
The bench expressed that print and electronic media/journalists form the 4th pillar of democracy and they should work and act in that regard with utmost care and caution.
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Written by- Shreya Sharma
