New Delhi (Agency): The Supreme Court has provided relief to four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) by directing the Manipur police not to take any coercive measures against them until September 11 in relation to two FIRs. These FIRs include charges of promoting enmity between two communities and defamation.
The case originated from an incident where Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that a police case had been filed against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India. They were accused of attempting to “provoke clashes” in the state. A second FIR was subsequently registered against the same four members of the Guild, with the additional charge of defamation.
The Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued the order after a brief hearing. Additionally, the court has requested a response from the state government regarding the plea filed by the Editors Guild of India and scheduled the matter for further hearing on Monday.
Initially, the court considered granting protection to the EGI members against possible coercive state action for a limited period, suggesting that they could seek relief from the Manipur High Court during that time. However, the court later decided to retain the case and hear it directly after listening to senior advocate Shyam Divan, who represented the journalists’ body.
Divan explained that the Editors Guild had sent three of its members to Manipur to prepare a report after spending four days in the state between August 7 and August 10, 2023. This report, dated September 2, 2023, contained a minor error that was corrected on September 3. Subsequently, two FIRs were filed based on the report’s allegations of “incorrect and false statements” that incited enmity.
The court granted protection to the Editors Guild members until Monday, acknowledging the concerns of possible coercive action against them.
The initial complaint against the EGI president and its three members was filed by Ngangom Sarat Singh, a retired engineer who had worked for the state government. The second FIR was lodged by Sorokhaibam Thoudam Sangita of Khurai in Imphal East district.
Besides EGI president Seema Mustafa, those who have been booked include senior journalists Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan, and Sanjay Kapoor. They visited Manipur to study media reportage on ethnic violence that occurred between August 7 and 10. The Editors Guild, in its report published on September 2, criticized the internet ban, one-sided reporting, and indications of the state leadership taking sides during the conflict.
In light of these developments, the case raises questions about freedom of expression, journalistic integrity, and legal actions against journalists reporting on sensitive issues.
The Editors Guild members were booked under various sections of the IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between two communities), 200 (using false declarations as true), 298 (deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), and provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Press Council Act. The second FIR also includes Section 499 (defamation) of the IPC.
The ethnic conflict in Manipur began on May 3, with more than 160 people losing their lives and several hundred being injured. The conflict arose after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Manipur’s population is divided between Meiteis, who account for about 53%, and Nagas and Kukis, who constitute a little over 40%, residing in the hill districts.