SC grants interim protection to journalists alleging assault by MP Police

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to two journalists from Madhya Pradesh who were allegedly assaulted and abused at the instance of Bhind’s Superintendent of Police over their reporting on “illegal sand mining” in the Chambal river.

However, a Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan told the petitioners, Shashikant Jatav and Amarkant Singh Chouhan, to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court for further relief within two weeks.

In the meantime, the petitioner journalists will not be arrested, ordered the Justice Mishra-led Bench, clarifying that it would be open for the Madhya Pradesh High Court to consider the petitioners’ prayer for extension of interim protection.

On June 4, a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma of the top court issued notice on the writ petition filed by the two journalists but declined to pass any interim order protecting them from any coercive action.

The Justice Karol-led Bench remarked that before passing any interim order, the facts should be brought by the Madhya Pradesh government as well. “Suppose you commit a crime like murder, can we grant you no coercive action order? We don’t know what crime has been registered against you,” remarked the apex court, asking the petitioners’ counsel to add Bhind’s SP as a party to the petition.

The duo claimed that they were forced to flee their hometown due to the intensity of these threats after they exposed “illegal” sand mining in the Chambal River, allegedly carried out with the support of local police.

In their writ petition filed before the Supreme Court, the petitioners named IPS officer Asit Yadav and his subordinates as key perpetrators of the abuse, claiming that the targeting is retaliatory, stemming from their investigative work.

They alleged custodial assault, caste-based abuse, kidnapping, and continued harassment by the Bhind police.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also taken suo motu cognisance of the brutal manhandling of two journalists, allegedly facing grave threats to their lives and liberty from the Bhind police.

The apex human rights body issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. Taking note of a press release issued by the Press Club of India, the NHRC said that the contents of the press release, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victim journalists.

IANS