Fifteen media organizations have collectively addressed a formal letter to Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, earnestly requesting his esteemed intervention in light of the recent apprehensions and investigative operations conducted on journalists within the capital city.
The associations have respectfully implored the Supreme Court to:
"There have been numerous instances in recent years where the State has engaged in assaults on the freedom of the press, necessitating judicial intervention, and we are actively pursuing such cases. However, the recent developments within the past 24 hours have left us with no alternative but to appeal to your esteemed conscience to take notice and intervene before it is too late and an autocratic police state becomes the prevailing norm," stated the letter.
The Chief Justice of India's attention has been drawn to the raids conducted by a Special Cell of the Delhi Police on the residences of 46 journalists, editors, writers, and professionals who appear to be associated with the online news portal, NewsClick.
These raids resulted in the arrests of two individuals under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as the confiscation of mobile phones and computers without ensuring the integrity of their data. In light of this, the letter expressed,
"The utilization of the UAPA is particularly alarming. Journalism should not be prosecuted as 'terrorism'. History provides us with ample examples of where this ultimately leads."
The letter also highlights the responsibility of the judiciary to uphold the Constitution in the face of the threats journalists in India currently encounter.
"The reality is that a significant portion of journalists in India now find themselves working under the constant threat of retaliation. It is imperative that the Judiciary confronts those in power with a fundamental truth - that we are all accountable to the Constitution."
The letter references the numerous instances in which the country's investigative agencies have been misused and weaponized against the press.
"Editors and reporters have been charged with sedition and terrorism, and multiple, sequential, and/or frivolous First Information Reports (FIRs) have been employed as a means of harassing journalists," the letter stated.
The letter clarifies that its purpose is not to bypass or circumvent the legal process and procedures established by law.
However, the media organizations emphasized that when journalists are summoned and their devices are seized in the name of investigation, there exists an inherent malevolence in the process that must be scrutinized. They pointed out that journalists who are arrested under the UAPA can potentially spend months, if not years, incarcerated before they are granted bail. They cited the case of Siddique Kappan, who was imprisoned for two years and four months before finally obtaining bail, as well as the tragic death of Father Stan Swamy in custody, which serves as a reminder of the authorities' apparent indifference towards human life under the pretext of combating 'terrorism'.
The organizations clarified that their journalists are always willing to cooperate with genuine investigations. However, they firmly stated that ad hoc and sweeping measures, as well as interrogations, cannot be accepted in any democratic country, especially one that proclaims itself as the 'mother of democracy'.
The letter has received endorsements from the following media organizations: Digipub News India Foundation, Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India New Delhi, Foundation for Media Professionals Network of Women in Media, India Chandigarh Press Club, National Alliance of Journalists, Delhi Union of Journalists, Kerala Union of Working Journalists, Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists, Free Speech Collective Mumbai Mumbai Press Club, Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, Press Association of India, and Guwahati Press Club.
TAGS: Freedom of Press Newsclick CJI DY Chandrachud Journalist Arrests
