SC issues notice in plea by Editors Guild of India seeking protection arrest in FIRs registered in Manipur

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday, which was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. The EGI has also sought quashing of the FIRs.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday issued notice on a plea bythe Editors Guild of India (EGI) seeking a direction for protective orders in two FIRs filed against its four members over a report that they had published on the ethnic clashes in Manipur. Editors Guild of India (EGI) moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction for protective orders in two FIRs filed against its four members over a report that they had published on the ethnic clashes in Manipur.

The top court has said that no coercive steps should be taken against the petitioner till the next date of hearing. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud scheduled the matter for hearing on Monday.

The matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. The apex court agreed to hear the matter today. The EGI has also sought quashing of the FIRs. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the EGI, said they are apprehending arrest and urged the court to hear the matter today.

Divan said there are four writ petitioners before the court and “we are seeking protection from arrest and coercive steps”. Divan said the EGI appointed a fact-finding committee and the first three petitioners, who are senior journalists, were part of the committee they went to Manipur and for four days they were on the ground. Divan said they interviewed the people and then prepared a fact-finding report and that fact-finding report was issued on September 2 and there are two FIRs.

On Tuesday, the guild said it was disturbed by the registration of FIRS by the Manipur Police against its president as well as the members of the fact-finding team that had visited Manipur to study and document media's coverage of ethnic clashes in the state.

The guild also expressed its shock over the intimidatory statements made by the Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, in response to the fact-finding report.

It noted that it had received several representations from civil society as well as the Indian Army raising concerns that the media in Manipur was playing a partisan role in the ongoing ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei community and the Kuki-Chin minority.

The guild pressed a three-member team to Manipur to examine the media's reportage in the state as well as the effects of internet shut down.

The team, after meeting a cross-section of reporters, editors, representatives of the Editors Guild of Manipur, All Manipur Working Journalists Union, civil society activists, public intellectuals, women affected by the violence, tribal spokespersons and the representatives of the security forces operating in Manipur, framed its report, the guild revealed its reporting process.

Aldo read-Editors' Guild of India flays Manipur media for 'one-sided' reports; slams internet ban

The guild released the report on Sept. 2, 2023.

Instead of responding to the concerns raised in the report in a meaningful way, the state government has registered FIRs invoking multiple provisions of the IPC, the guild said, adding that it has "already acknowledged and corrected an error that was pointed out regarding a photo caption, and we remain open to further discussion."

The Chief Minister's labelling of the journalists body as "anti-State" and "anti- national" is deeply disturbing, especially given the way the Union Government has emphasised the country's democratic credentials as well as the spirit of freedom of speech at the global stage for the upcoming G20 summit, the guild said.

The guild said the report was aimed at enabling introspection and reflection on the media's conduct in such a sensitive situation, and urged the state government to close the FIRS.