Malayalam TV channel MediaOne files appeal at Kerala HC's division bench against I&B ministry

A day after a Single Bench of the Kerala High Court upheld the decision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to revoke the license of Malayalam news channel MediaOne -- Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, they on Wednesday filed an appeal at the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court.

The appeal will be heard on Thursday.

On Tuesday, passing the orders Justice A N Nagaresh said he has gone through the files.

"I find that the ministry has called for report from various intelligence agencies. Based on those inputs, it was found that security clearance should not be renewed. There are inputs which justify the decision. Therefore, I am dismissing the petition," said the judge and upheld the ban imposed by the I&B ministry.

Even though the channel authorities wished to have two-day time to file a review petition and until then they should not be taken off the air, the court refused.

The Centre had submitted all the details in a sealed cover and it was on perusal of these the court took this decision and upheld the I&B's decision to ban the channel.

Incidentally, it was on January 31, the channel was taken off air following which they approached the High Court, which decided to defer the operation of the Ministry's order and extended it two times till Tuesday, when the court dismissed the channel's arguments.

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