SC grants interim relief to Madhya Pradesh scribes alleging police assault

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday provided interim protection to two Madhya Pradesh-based journalists who were allegedly assaulted by the state police for reporting on illegal sand mining activities.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, however, declined to examine their plea and asked the journalists to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

"We are not entertaining the plea. However, looking at the allegations, we permit the petitioners to move the concerned high court within two weeks from today. Till the time the petitioners move high court, the petitioners shall not be arrested," the bench said.

On June 4, a separate bench had sought the response from the Madhya Pradesh and Delhi governments on the plea of Shashikant Goyal and Amarkant Singh Chouhan.

The bench had then said that unless the court is made aware of the exact nature of the crime attributed to the two journalists, it cannot pass any interim order granting protection from arrest to the two. The bench told the counsel, representing the petitioners, suppose her client commits a crime like murder, can the court grant no coercive protection order? The bench said it would have to hear the police. "Let the other side respond. Let the facts be brought by the state also," the bench said.

The bench also told the counsel that she should have informed it that they have already moved the Delhi High Court. The bench told the counsel, “We appreciate you as the fourth pillar. But you have to show the apprehension borne out of the record…What prevents you from going to Delhi High court which is sitting during vacations?"

In May, the Delhi High Court granted protection to Chouhan, who claimed there was threat to his life by the Bhind superintendent of police after he was allegedly beaten in his office.

The high court had directed Delhi Police to give protection to Chouhan, a resident of Madhya Pradesh and Bhind Bureau Chief of Swaraj Express news channel, for two months.

Last month, three journalists from Bhind district had alleged they were beaten inside the office of superintendent of police, an allegation denied by the officer.

Pritam Singh Rajawat, who runs a YouTube channel, Goyal who runs a news portal, and Chouhan, who also works for a news channel, alleged in a complaint submitted to the district collector that they were assaulted on May 1.