AGARTALA, Dec 8 (TIWN): Reacting over the Supreme Court’s stay order in FIR against journalists, Tripura High Court senior Advocate Purushottam Roy Barman said Tripura Police miserably failed to take any action against hooligans who are attacking people in broad daylight, organizing election violence but the police are pro-active to take action against journalists for reporting news. “Reporters have to report about ongoing incidents and as a journalist, s/he has the right to go anywhere and in any state. A Govt’s version can not be considered as a mews. Today’s Supreme Court’s stay order on the FIR against journalists has given relief to them”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcctAaEyRY8  Supreme Court stays FIR against Journalists who Reported about Tripura Violence. Advocate Purushottom Roy Barman addressed the media. TIWN YouTube Video Dec 8, 2021

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Tripura Govt and Police on a petition filed by three journalists of HW Network, against whom FIRs were lodged in connection with their news reports of the recent communal violence in the state. A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud also stayed any coercive proceedings against the journalists and any other proceedings connected with the FIRs lodged till the next date of hearing. The top court has directed the state to file a response within 4 weeks.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the petitioners, contended before the bench that journalists were reporting on the issue and then there was an FIR. He added that journalists have been granted bail, but then there was another FIR. "This is really untenable and not justified", Luthra submitted.

The petitioners have termed the FIRs as an attempt to harass the press and moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the case.

Justice Chandrachud said the court will issue a notice in the matter and there will be a stay on all further proceedings of the FIR. "Counter to be filed within 4 weeks and liberty to serve the counsel of Tripura", said the bench.

The media company Theos Connect, which operates the digital news portal HW News Network, and two of its journalists Samridhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha and its associate editor Arti Ghargi had moved the Supreme Court in this regard.