Toolkit Case: Activist Disha Ravi was arrested last week from her Bengaluru home. (File)
New Delhi:
A day after three news channels got notice over activist Disha Ravi’s petition – linked to the coverage of her arrest in a case filed over the farmers’ protest toolkit shared by Swedish teen climate crusader Greta Thunberg earlier this month – the Delhi High Court today made observations about “sensationalism” in reporting.
The High Court asked Delhi Police to stick to the stand that it hasn’t leaked details while the reporters were asked to ensure the “probe is not hampered”. At the same time, Ms Ravi, 21, has been “directed to ensure that there is no indulgence to malign the police and other authorities”.
“While a journalist cannot be asked to reveal their source, the same has to be authentic. The Delhi Police claims that it has not leaked anything whereas the media claims to the contrary,” the court observed.
“Right to privacy, the sovereignty and integrity of the country and the freedom of speech need to be balanced. The recent coverage by media definitely shows there is sensationalised reporting by the media. While press briefings are held generally the media cannot disseminate the information in such a sensationalised manner,” it said.
The news channels have been told to “ensure that proper editorial control is exercised while disseminating information to ensure investigation is not hampered”.
Ms Ravi had moved the High Court seeking directions to the police to not leak investigation material, including alleged contents of her private chats, to the media. The 21-year-old had also said the police “did not obtain any transit remand, nor did they permit the petitioner to consult with a lawyer”.
“Surprisingly, there was significant media coverage of the petitioner’s remand hearing and the media seemed to have more knowledge about the time and venue of the petitioner’s production than her lawyers,” her petition said.