In a vital development for the group, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the authorities in Punjab to allow media group Punjab Kesari to resume its printing press at Ludhiana.
The printing press was shut down on the orders of Punjab Pollution Control Board. The media group, which publishes the highest circulating Hindi and Punjabi dailies in Punjab, has accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government of targeted harassment in recent weeks. A hotel run by the media group was also shut recently on the orders of the Pollution Board.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and VM Pancholi ordered restoration of operations of the printing press on Tuesday, after the plea filed by Jagat Vijay Printers and Hind Samachar Limited was mentioned for an urgent hearing. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi and Advocate Mahesh Agarwal made the mentioning at 10:30 am. The Bench was told that the actions against the media group were being taken as the newspaper had published reports questioning the government.
The Court took the matter immediately on board and ordered that the printing press shall operate uninterruptedly. However, it clarified that a status quo shall be maintained on the premises.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday had reserved its decision on similar petitions moved by the media group against closure of its hotel and printing press. However, the Bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu had expressed a disinclination to grant any relief to the newspaper group and urged it to instead approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The interim relief granted by the top court will operate for a week after the pronouncement of verdict by the High Court. The newspaper group argued that the High Court's failure to grant the interim relief while reserving the judgment, despite a strong prima facie case, has resulted in a chilling effect on free speech. Further, the media group alleged that the actions against it were triggered by news reports concerning AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
"Thereafter, several reports critical of the Government of the day were published in discharge of the constitutional role of the press as the fourth pillar of democracy. Similar reports were also carried by other newspapers in the state," the Court was told. The media group publishes the newspapers Punjab Kesari, Jag Bani and Hind Samachar. According to the plea before the top court, the state government has stopped placing its advertisements in these newspapers, an action that will disrupt the group’s revenue stream.
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