The Supreme Court has made noteworthy observations in the Editors Guild of India case, casting doubt on the charges of promoting enmity between groups mentioned in the Manipur Police FIR. The court described the complaint as a “counter-narrative of the government” and raised questions about whether merely providing a report could be deemed a crime.
The case revolves around three members of the Editors Guild’s fact-finding team who traveled to Manipur to assess the media’s coverage of the ethnic conflict in the state, along with the Guild’s president. The complainant alleged that the team’s report was “false, fabricated, and sponsored,” and the FIR included charges of promoting enmity between different groups.
During the hearing on Friday, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra made significant remarks. Chief Justice Chandrachud stated, “Prima facie, the crime mentioned in the FIR does not appear to be made out. There is no whisper of crime in the complaint based on which the FIR has been registered.”
He further noted that the Editors Guild team had been invited to Manipur by the Army and that the Army had raised concerns about partisan reporting. The team submitted a report based on their findings, and Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasized, “This is what free speech is all about.”
The bench also expressed concerns about the filing of cases whenever something is published and commented on the complainant’s approach, stating, “Your entire complaint is the counter-narrative of the government. You have basically put forth a counter-narrative, assuming that what they have said is false.”
The bench has asked the complainant to respond to why the FIR should not be quashed within two weeks and extended interim relief to the journalists, preventing any action against them during this period.
In its report published on September 2, the Editors Guild had criticized the Manipur leadership for perceived bias during the conflict, the internet ban’s impact on reporting, and “one-sided reporting” by certain media outlets.
Representing the complainant, senior advocate S Guru Krishnakumar argued that the report exacerbated animosity between groups and questioned its purported impartiality. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur government, suggested that the case could be transferred to the Delhi High Court if the bench desired.
The Supreme Court was addressing a petition filed by the journalists seeking the quashing of the FIRs. The case has drawn attention to issues surrounding freedom of the press and the limits of free speech in reporting on sensitive matters.
On September 4, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that a case had been registered against Editors Guild president Seema Mustafa and senior journalists Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan, and Sanjay Kapoor. The defamation section was added to the FIR following another complaint filed a few days later.
The Editors Guild case remains a subject of interest as it raises important questions about the role of journalists and freedom of the press in reporting on conflicts and sensitive issues.
Sources By Agencies
