The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear arguments on May 10 on the legal question whether the pleas challenging the colonial era penal law on sedition be referred to a larger bench, and granted time to the Centre to file its response.
As per the cause list uploaded on the apex court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Surya Kant will hear nine separate pleas on the issue related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO's spyware Pegasus.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to file its response by the end of the week on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of sedition law.
Particularly the small and independent Web sites that have developed a following in the recent past because the mainstream is seen as totally aligned with the government, points out Aakar Patel.
The surprise action comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and India.
The complaint was filed for various offences punishable under sections 420 (cheating), 468 and 469 (forgery), 471 (fraud), 500 (defamation) r/w 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (criminal act) of the Indian Penal Code.
Police had sought an extension of Zubair's custody by five days.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli has listed as many as 12 PILs, including the ones filed by Editors Guild of India and veteran journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar, for hearing on February 23.
'Don't want the government to set up a committee on its own'
The Guild denounces these threats and urges the government to refrain from initiating any action that might undermine the media's freedom and independence the statement said.
The administration -- which has been facing flak on the issue with the Editors Guild of India terming the events a 'coup' and a continuing trend to smother press freedom -- cited 'unpleasant developments and dissensions between various groups of journalists' as the reason for the takeover of the premises in Srinagar's high street Polo Ground area.
A bench headed by the CJI said the apex court is not against debates but when the matter in pending in court, it should be deliberated upon here.
A total of 326 cases were registered in the country under the controversial colonial era law of sedition between 2014 and 2019 in which just six persons were convicted.
The hearing on as many as nine petitions, including those filed by the Editors Guild of India and senior journalists seeking independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter is presently on.
Various events, award functions, interviews, shooting schedules have been called off in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the misuse of "colonial era" penal law on sedition and sought response of the Centre on pleas including the one filed by the Editors Guild of India challenging the validity of the provision.
A division bench of Justices Amjad Sayyed and Anuja Prabhudessai passed the judgment on a bunch of petitions filed by several broadcasters, like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, a representative body of TV broadcasters, the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, Zee Entertainment Ltd and Sony Pictures Network India.
Umar Ganie captures glimpses of Vidya Balan and Arbaaz Khan's visit to Kashmir for Rediff.com.
Citing national security, the Centre had refused to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
The pleas are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO's spyware Pegasus.
The guild's members and all journalists have the duty of holding all branches of government accountable by seeking information, explanations and constitutionally valid justifications for state action and inaction, it said.
The committee has shared an online form consisting of 11 questions seeking comments of lay persons until March 31.
Everybody knows what's happening. How I feel is not important. How the people are feeling is important'
The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday, instead of Wednesday, a batch of pleas alleging the use of Israeli spyware for surveillance of certain people in India, after taking note of the submissions of the solicitor-general that he would be busy arguing a money-laundering case in another court.
Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, journalists with HW News Network, were produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Gomati district Shubhra Nath, who granted them bail on bail bonds of Rs 7,500.
The guild also demanded that the decision be withdrawn immediately.
The Centre had earlier filed a short affidavit on the matter.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter, making it clear that it did not want the government to disclose anything which might compromise national security.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the operation of sedition law, and ruled that all pending cases, appeals and proceedings with respect to charges framed for sedition should be kept in abeyance.
A Delhi court will pass the order on Tuesday on the bail plea of freelance journalist Mandeep Punia arrested by the Delhi Police from the Singhu border protest site here where farmers are agitating against the three contentious agri laws.
'It is a very clear case of an attempt to bend the media.'
In a statement, the Guild demanded that such FIRs be withdrawn immediately and the media be allowed to report without fear and with freedom.
Though Bachchan did not take any names, her remarks come a day after BJP's Lok Sabha MP and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan said there was problem of drug addiction in the film industry and also actor Kangana Ranaut's recent remarks calling Bollywood a 'gutter'.
According to the home ministry data, 2019 saw the highest number of 93 cases registered in the country, followed by 70 in 2018, 51 in 2017, 47 in 2014, 35 in 2016 and 30 in 2015.
"We condemn the attack on press freedom in #Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this," the minister tweeted.
The Delhi high court will hear on Monday a plea by leading Bollywood producers seeking to restrain Republic TV and Times Now from making or publishing allegedly "irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks" against the film industry and conducting media trials against its members on various issues. The lawsuit by four Bollywood industry associations and 34 leading producers, which was filed on October 12, will come up for hearing before Justice Rajiv Shakdher.
Members of the Guild also demanded a public apology from both Kapoor and Ranaut, journalists present at the meeting said.
The Editors Guild of India on Sunday condemned the "arbitrary" and "high-handed" treatment by the Delhi police of Iftikhar Gilani, his wife and young children.
The government may levy a 12.36 percent service tax to actors for films, television shows and endorsements.
The leaders of non-Bharatiya Janata Party parties and the media bodies also demanded immediate withdrawal of the order imposing the blackout on November 9.
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