Nivedita Jha has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the blanket ban on reporting of Muzaffarpur shelter home case. Speaking with Newsd she says that “the Patna high court in CWJC No. 12845/2018 vides its order dated 23-08-18 has imposed a blanket media ban on reporting anything with respect to the case.”
She also expressed her deep anguished over the shrill silence by almost all the media houses over the order. She said that “I was expecting someone from the media fraternity will come forward and raise the same concern, but nobody did.
Finally, I have filed the petition in the Supreme Court. I have only two major concerns behind filing the petition; it is our right to know and the freedom of the press that is guaranteed under Article 19(1) a.
Permission to file SLP- Nivedita Jha
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Legal correspondents of some media houses have challenged this order and filed a petition in this regard. On September 17, 2018, the Patna high court is doing a final hearing of the matter and likely to pronounce its verdict in this issue.
Nivedita has filed the case ahead of that to get an early constitutional remedy through the apex court. She also shared her apprehension that due to the high court order the state government has taken an undue advantage and issued a prohibitory order to report anything regarding the development in the investigation.
Whereas the high court has in its earlier order never gave any direction on no coverage of the case, but asked the reporters restrain from hampering the investigation. Honorary Supreme Court has accepted her petition and admits the case on Wednesday, confirmed Fauzia Shakeel, Nivedita’s lawyer.
Nivedita is a senior journalist and also the president of Bihar chapter of South Asia Women in India.
