Journalist Vinod Dua was charged with sedition in Himachal Pradesh. A BJP leader complained against him as he criticized the Central Government regarding the mishandling of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Supreme Court today quashed a sedition case against journalist Vinod Dua. The Supreme Court added that a 1962 order protects every journalist from such charges.
In the FIR, the accusations were – spreading fake news, causing public nuisance, printing defamatory material and making statements amounting to public mischief.
The senior journalist approached the Supreme court against the FIR and sought “exemplary damages for harassment”.
Mr. Dua requested the court that no FIR be registered against any journalist with 10 years’ experience unless cleared by a panel headed by a High Court judge. However, the Supreme Court rejected this request, while canceling the case.
Justices UU Lalit and Vineet Saran felt that this would amount t encroaching on the domain of the legislature.
Moreover, the Supreme Court, significantly, cited a past judgment to say every journalist is protected from such charges.
“Every journalist will be entitled to the protection under the Kedar Nath Singh judgment on sedition” said the judges.
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