The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, in a significant decision on Tuesday, ordered that the print and electronic media should not report matters relating to movement of troops.
Dismissing a PIL filed by a RTI activist Nutan Thakur, the division bench of Justice Uma Nath Singh and V.K. Dixit expressed grave concern over the reportedly false media reports of an attempted Army coup.
“The issue of movement of Army troops is not a matter of the kind which should require public discussion at the cost of defense official secrecy and the security of country,” the judges observed.
The order further states: “Thus, without interfering with the independence of media and keeping in view the fact that the news items relating to movements of troops have already engaged the attention at the highest level in the defence as well as in the government, we think it appropriate to direct the secretary, home affairs, and the secretary, information & broadcasting, government of India and the principal secretary (home), government of UP, to ensure that there is no reporting/release of any news item by the print as well as electronic media relating to the subject matter, namely, the movement of troops.” Ms Nutan Thakur had filed the PIL in regard to two controversial news articles related to an alleged Army coup and a senior Union minister reportedly planting this news in two newspapers. She had prayed that both the matter shall be immediately enquired into by a high-level judicial enquiry commission. The Prime Minister’s Office had also been made a respondent in this PIL.