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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Hemant Karkare dying at hands of Kasab ‘Karmic Justice’: Shefali Vaidya on Col. Purohit’s promotion
Shefali Vaidya’s ‘karmic justice’ remark on Hemant Karkare sparks controversy.
Columnist Shefali Vaidya said that the death of former ATS chief Hemant Karkare was “almost karmic justice,” while expressing support for the promotion of Shrikant Purohit.
In the post, she wrote, “Col Purohit to be made Brigadier! This is the least Indian Army could do to restore the honour of an officer who was wrongly accused, framed on false charges, tortured beyond imagination and lost many years of his life thanks to anti-national, evil Congress.”
She further stated, “the way Maharashtra ATS Hemant Karkare died at the hands of Kasab was almost karmic justice, for having tortured Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya and others in the fake Hindu terror case. Ditto for disgraced cop Parambir Singh!”
Her post came after reports that Colonel Purohit, who was acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case last year, has been approved for promotion to Brigadier.
Defence sources cited by Indian Express had indicated that less than a month after his retirement was put on hold by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), he has been approved for promotion to Brigadier.
According to the report, he will now continue in service for at least two more years, up to the age of 56, which is the retirement age for Brigadiers, compared to 54 for Colonels.
Purohit had reportedly approached the AFT, stating that the 17-year-long trial had affected his career progression and denied him the opportunity to be considered for promotions.
Though he was granted bail in 2017, he remained under a Discipline and Vigilance (DV) ban, which was lifted in July 2020. Due to this, his promotion to the rank of Colonel was reportedly withheld in 2021.
The controversy around remarks on Karkare is not new.
Earlier, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee had highlighted instances of social media users allegedly making derogatory comments about the slain officer.
Hemant Karkare, a 1982-batch IPS officer, served as the chief of the Mumbai ATS and led the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon blasts. He was killed in action on November 26, 2008, during the 2008 Mumbai attacks while responding to terrorist activity near Cama Hospital. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 2009.
According to the Mumbai Police chargesheet, Karkare, along with Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte and Inspector Vijay Salaskar, was killed in an exchange of fire with Pakistani terrorists, including Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail Khan.
The officers were ambushed near Rang Bhavan Lane while moving towards Cama Hospital.
According to a report by India Today, BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur had earlier claimed that Karkare died as a result of a “curse,” while Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar had alleged that an “RSS-linked cop” was responsible for Karkare’s death, citing claims from a book by S.M. Mushrif.
