The Supreme Court has said that it “becomes difficult” to protect reporters accredited to credible news organisations when everyone claims to be a journalist under the right to freedom of expression.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea which claimed that several journalists were harassed by the police while covering the protests in Delhi.
The bench also directed that no coercive action be taken against a woman journalist, against whom a case has been filed by a Delhi Police officer alleging casteist remarks and public humiliation against him during a protest near Jantar Mantar. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a plea which claimed that several journalists, including women media professionals, were harassed by the police while covering the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi on October 10.
“The difficulty is when everyone claims to be a journalist under the right to freedom of expression,” the bench said during the hearing on Thursday. The court indicated that it would have to consider the different “layers of protection” applicable to accredited journalists and demarcate them from influencers and others. The top court called the allegations “very serious”, and asked the police to examine the complaint and complete its inquiry on it.
