Explorer

Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case: Bombay HC allows media to report proceedings

The court said that such an order of prohibiting journalists from reporting on or publishing the proceedings could be issued only in rare cases and for a limited period of time

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today quashed and set aside the trial court's order prohibiting journalists from reporting on or publishing the proceedings of the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case trial. Justice Revati Mohite-Dere minced no words in holding that the special CBI court overreached its powers in issuing the order. She agreed with the petitioners -- a group of court reporters and city-based Union of Journalists -- that the Criminal Procedure Code provided only for the high courts and the apex court to issue such ban orders. Such an order could be issued only in rare cases, and for a limited period of time, the court said. Justice Mohite-Dere said mere apprehension of sensationalism by the accused was not a sufficient ground for issuing such gag orders. On November 29 last year, the special CBI court had barred journalists from reporting or publishing the proceedings of the ongoing trial in the case. ALSO READ: If you have invested in Bitcoin then this news is important for you The CBI court said while journalists can attend the proceedings, they must not make what transpired public. Justice Mohite-Dere held that such a ban was unjustified and it breached a journalist's constitutional right to freedom of expression. "The rights of the press are intrinsic with the constitutional right that guarantees freedom of expression. In reporting from an open trial, the press not only makes use of its own right but serves the larger purpose of making such information available to the general public," she said. She also dismissed the objections to such reportage by the accused persons in the case, saying they had failed to prove to the court that there existed any legal provision for a trial court to prohibit the press from reporting.
View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Delhi Elections: AAP Releases First List Of 11 Candidates, Fields 6 Turncoats
Delhi Elections: AAP Releases First List Of 11 Candidates, Fields 6 Turncoats
'Oppn-Ruled States Named In Adani Bribery Charge': BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi, Says 'Cong Trying To Tarnish PM's Image'
'Oppn-Ruled States Named In Adani Bribery Charge': BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi, Says 'Cong Trying To Tarnish PM's Image'
Russia Fires Intercontinental Ballistic Missile At Ukraine For First Time
Russia Fires Intercontinental Ballistic Missile At Ukraine For First Time
Adani Group Responds To Bribery Charges, Cancels $600 Million Bond Offering
Adani Group Responds To Bribery Charges, Cancels $600 Million Bond Offering
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

India Emerges as G20's Growth Leader, Check Out the Latest GDP Rankings | ABP NewsAirtel-Nokia Partnership: Nokia’s Spectacular Comeback, Shakes Up the Telecom Sector | ABP NewsAdani Group in Turmoil: Bribery Scandal Rocks Shares, Plunge by 20% | ABP NewsPLI Scheme: Transforming India's Manufacturing Sector into a Global Powerhouse

Photo Gallery

Embed widget