New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre’s counsel that in past three years’ how many channels had applied for renewal of licence but were not allowed to continue pending the decision, while hearing a plea by a Kannada news channel which extensively telecasted a sex scandal involving former JDS MP Prajwal Revanna, and his family.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud extended its stay on the Karnataka High Court's order, which restrained Power TV from broadcasting in the absence of proper licence. Power TV had extensively covered sex scandal allegedly involving Revanna, and his family.
The bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked additional solicitor general Vikramjit Banerjee that in the last three years’ in how many cases such channels had applied for renewal of licence, but they were not allowed to continue, as the decision was pending. The Centre’s counsel replied that the channel was issued a show cause notice but it failed to come up with a response. The bench queried, can channels be shut down like this? After hearing submissions, the apex court scheduled the matter for further hearing on July 22.
On July 12, the apex court had granted relief to the Kannada news channel saying that it firmly stands for protection of freedom of speech and expression and it does not intend to fail in its duty. The apex court had said that the present case looks like a plain case of political vendetta.
“Issue notice, returnable on 15 July 2024. There shall be a stay of the operation of the impugned order dated 3 July 2024 passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Karnataka in Writ Appeal... and the order dated 25 June 2024 passed by the Single Judge of the High Court”, said the apex court, in its order, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on July 15.
The high court had restrained Power TV from carrying out any broadcasting activity till July 9. On June 25, the high court had passed the interim order after hearing two petitions filed by senior serving IPS officer Dr B R Ravikanthe Gowda, and JDS leader and MLC HM Ramesh Gowda and his wife Dr A Ramya Ramesh.
