'It's Time We Define Limits of Sedition': SC Restrains Coercive Action Against News Channels

The Supreme Court Monday on Monday restrained Andhra Pradesh police from taking any coercive action against two Telugu news channels — TV5 and ABN Andhra Jyothi for alleged sedition in showing ‘offensive’ speeches of YSR rebel MP K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.

The channels have filed writ petitions seeking the quashing of FIR and contempt petitions arguing that the Andhra Police action is a violation of the earlier SC order, which restrains the arrest and prosecution against citizens for ventilating grievances with respect to Covid-19 issues, a report in The Live Law said.

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The report also said that senior advocates Shyam Divan and Sidharth Luthra appearing for the two channels contended that the FIRs were registered for publishing the statements of rebel leader and MP Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju.

A special bench headed by Justive DY Cyhandrachud sought the response of the state government within four weeks on the pleas of the channels which are charged for various offences including the harsh penal offence of sedition. The bench, also comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat, also made clear that there shall be no coercive action against the employees or the staffers of the news channels in connection the same FIR.

“It is time we define the limits of sedition,” Justice DY Chandrachud observed.

The bench of three SC judges expressed a prima facie view that the FIRs are an attempt to “muzzle media freedom”. The bench also observed that there was no need to define the scope of offences under Section 124A and 153A under IPC, especially in the context of media freedom.

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“We are of the view that provisions of 124A (sedition) and 153 (promoting enmity between classes) of the IPC require interpretation, particularly on the issue of the rights of press and free speech”, the court said. It was alleged that the FIRs were registered against the channels for publishing the press statements of Raju. The top court had earlier granted bail to the lawmaker in connection with the same case.

The bench issued notices on the petitions of the news channels and stayed coercive actions against them till the next date of hearing.

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