No intention to act against Newslaundry journalist, Delhi High Court clarifies
The Delhi High Court on Friday clarified that it has no intention of taking action against journalist Manisha Pande or prejudicing her professional career, a day after its oral remarks during a hearing sparked widespread discussion on social media.
The court also made it clear that it was not attempting to gag the media, responding to the manner in which its earlier observations from Thursday’s proceedings were circulated online.
A Division Bench comprising Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla was hearing appeals filed by TV Today, the broadcasting arm of the India Today Group, and digital news platform Newslaundry in connection with a dispute involving allegations of copyright infringement and defamation.
During Thursday’s hearing, the Bench had orally objected to the use of what it described as an unparliamentary expression during a programme featuring Pande and remarked that she “doesn’t know the basic fundamentals of decency in reporting.” The court had also observed that it could consider making her a party to the proceedings and that any order passed might place her career in “disarray.” These remarks were subsequently widely shared on social media platforms.
On Friday, although the matter was not originally listed, Justice Hari Shankar called the lawyers representing both sides to court to issue a clarification. Addressing them, he said the Bench did not intend to proceed against the journalist or cause harm to her career, adding that the lawyers present the previous day had understood the spirit in which the remarks were made.
Justice Shankar further said the clarification was meant for all those reporting on court proceedings. He underlined that the court was not seeking to curb or silence the media, but urged reporters to be mindful of the consequences of selective reporting.
Referring to the previous day’s hearing, he noted that a single paragraph from the oral observations had been taken out of context and circulated separately, leading to a flood of reactions and hate messages on social media. He cautioned that if such outcomes continued, it could discourage judges from interacting freely during hearings.
The court’s clarification comes amid ongoing debate over the tone of judicial oral remarks and their impact when amplified beyond the courtroom.
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Scindia launches 2 bamboo projects for NE in Guwahati
Guwahati (PTI): Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday launched two key bamboo projects for the northeast in Guwahati, officials said.
On the occasion, MoUs were signed by the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) with Amazon, Flipkart and All Time Plastics to improve market integration, and enhance the overall value proposition of bamboo-based enterprises in the region, they said.
One of the projects launched is aimed at strengthening traditional bamboo artisan clusters by enhancing market access, modernising products and linking them with digital and retail ecosystems, the officials said.
The second project pertains to promotion of engineered bamboo products through cluster strengthening and export facilitation in the northeastern region, they added.
