SC stays Centre's order banning telecast of Malayalam news channel 'MediaOne' on security concerns

The top court asked the Centre to file a detailed counter affidavit by March 26 on the appeals filed by the channel against the High Court order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended execution of January 31, 2022 order by the Centre prohibiting telecast of Malayalam news channel 'Media One' due to security reasons.

The top court said its interim direction on the stay will continue until further orders and the channel would operate as it did before the revocation of its licence.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said it will examine the question whether the Centre should disclose to the media house its files leading to the revocation of the licence.

The bench asked the Centre to file its affidavit by March 30 on a plea by the channel against the Kerala High Court's order upholding the ban. The court put the matter for further hearing on April 7.

Appearing for the Madhyaman Broadcasting Ltd, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, said that the channel had functioned for 11 years but its licence was not renewed on the ground of security clearance.

"No media, publication or channel will be saved if this is accepted. everybody can be shut down," Dave said, adding the government had not produced relevant files which were claimed to contain adverse inputs.

"How can a democratically elected government deny to produce records and deny freedom of speech and expression. This channel is being shut down just because it is owned by minority individuals," he alleged.

Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, said as the channel was taken off the air, it appeared as a YouTube channel and engaged in personal attacks against the judge.

The bench, however, said, "Let us have some light and not heat. There is complete freedom to criticise the judgment of courts.

The ASG, however, maintained, it was against the personal conduct of judges and amounted to browbeating the judges.

Dave, for his part, said he condemned it, and the channel has nothing to do with it.

Media One, supposed to have support of Kerala chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami, had approached the top court after the Kerala High Court on March 2 upheld the ban imposed on it by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on January 31.

The channel run by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited had earlier faced 48-hour ban in connection with its reporting on Delhi riots in 2020.

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