A day after the Delhi Police’s action against the NewsClick portal, several prominent press bodies have written to Chief Justice Of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, seeking evolved guidelines for the interrogation of journalists and for seizures from them.
The letter addressed to the CJI has been signed by organizations including the Digipub News India Foundation, Indian Women’s Press Corps, and the Press Club of India, among others, PTI reported.
“India’s freedoms will be safe as long as journalists can speak truth to power, without being chilled by a threat of reprisal,” the press bodies said.
Also Read: Delhi Police raids NewsClick journalists’ homes, other locations amid China funding row
“And it is imperative that the Judiciary confronts power with a fundamental truth – that there is a Constitution to which we are all answerable,” it said.
They demanded framing of norms “to discourage the seizure of journalists’ phones and laptops on a whim, as has been the case”, evolving guidelines for the interrogation of journalists and for seizures from them, to ensure that these are not undertaken as fishing expeditions with no bearing on actual offences and finding ways to ensure the accountability of state agencies.
The press bodies cited the instance of raids conducted on October 3 on the homes of 46 staffers of news portal NewsClick, including journalists, editors, writers, and professionals.
“Subjecting journalists to a concentrated criminal process because the government disapproves of their coverage of national and international affairs is an attempt to chill the press by the threat of reprisal-the very ingredient you identified as a threat to freedom,” the letter read.
Also Read: NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head sent to 7-day police custody
“We do not say that journalists are above the law. We are not and do not wish to be. However, intimidation of the media affects the democratic fabric of society,” it said.
“As journalists and news professionals, we are always ready and willing to cooperate with any bona fide investigation. However, ad hoc, sweeping seizures and interrogations surely cannot be considered acceptable in any democratic country, let alone one that has begun advertising itself as the ‘mother of democracy,” the letter addressed to the CJI said.
Raids on NewsClick journalists
NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources head Amit Chakravarty, who were arrested in a case filed under anti-terror law UAPA, have been sent to police custody for seven days.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has justified the police action against NewsClick, saying those involved in anti-India activities will face the strictest action as people have given the mandate to the Narendra Modi government to deal firmly with such elements.
Police have sealed NewsClick’s office in Delhi in connection with the China funding row. 46 suspects were questioned and digital devices, including laptops and mobile phones, besides documents taken away for examination.
(With inputs from PTI)