SC adjourns hearing of NDTV India ban case for eight weeks

[Ritesh]

SC adjourns NDTV matter for eight weeks

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing for eight weeks in regard to the appeal of NDTV against the ban imposed on its channel for airing security related information linked to the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air force base earlier this year.
The apex court had earlier on November 6 deferred the hearing in the case to December 5, citing reason of no urgency for its hearing.
NDTV India was asked to go off-air on November 9 after the government accused it of broadcasting sensitive information related to the terror attack on Pathankot air force base in January.
However, NDTV refuted the allegations stating that other channels had also reported the same.
Journalists and major media organisations condemned the ban and staged protest against it, comparing it with the time of the Emergency when the right of the freedom of press was violated.
However, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu supported the ban, saying it is in the interest of country's security.

SC adjourns NDTV matter for eight weeks | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis

 

[Shantanu]

Supreme Court has adjourned for eight weeks the hearing of NDTV’s appeal against the one-day ban on its Hindi news channel NDTV India.
NDTV had moved the apex court against the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s (MIB) decision and the case was posted for hearing on 5 December.
Facing opposition from several quarters, the MIB had earlier put the ban order in abeyance.
In November, NDTV counsel Fali Nariman said that there is no urgent need for the court to stay the government’s order as the same has been put on hold. He requested the apex court to hear the matter after a month by which time the company expects the government to take a final decision.
The matter was pushed to 5 December after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi also agreed that there is no urgency in the matter.
NDTV has challenged the constitutional validity of the MIB order that directed NDTV India to go off the air for a day for allegedly violating the content code during its coverage of the Pathankot terrorist attack.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) of the MIB had contended that the channel had compromised national security by providing information that could have helped the terrorists.
In its plea, the channel stated that it had shared information that was already available in the public domain

SC adjourns hearing of NDTV India ban case for eight weeks | TelevisionPost.com