The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its order on the Election Commission's plea against the Madras high court remarks holding its officials responsible for the surge in Covid-19 cases and fastening them with murder charges.
A bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah said it did not want to "demoralise" the high courts as they are vital pillars of the democracy, and the various critical remarks, as alleged by the Election Commission, are often said in an open dialogue between the bar and the bench.
The apex court said it would pronounce its order "expeditiously" on the EC's plea against critical remarks such as fastening murder charges against its officials.
The Election Commission had moved the apex court on Saturday, challenging the critical observations made by the Madras high court holding it responsible for a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, saying the remarks were "uncalled for, blatant and disparaging".
The top court said seeking relief that media should not report on observations is 'too far-fetched' and it should be able to report everything to create accountability:
It said that the media is an important and powerful watchdog in democracy and cannot be stopped from reporting discussions in higher courts.
The Election Commission had moved the top court on Saturday against some critical observations made by the Madras High Court.
The high court had observed that EC officials concerned should probably be tried on murder charges for their failure to ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols during the election process in four states and a Union territory.
