The Court of Justice today revoked an arrest warrant for journalist Vinod Dua, stating that an order of 1962 would protect all journalists from such charges.
Vinod Dua was charged, on the basis of a complaint from a BJP head, with sedition in Himachal Pradesh last year over his show on the Delhi riots. He was accused in a FIR of spreading fake news, public nuisance, printing diamonds, and public misconception.
The senior journalist went to the Supreme Court against the FIR.
While cancelling it, the Supreme Court rejected Mr Dua’s request that no FIR be registered against any journalist with 10 years’ experience unless cleared by a panel headed by a High Court judge. This would amount to encroaching on the domain of the legislature, the court said.
“Every journalist will be entitled to the protection under the Kedar Nath Singh judgment on sedition,” said the judges.
The 1962 Supreme Court verdict said “mere strong words used to express disapprobation of the measures of the government with a view to their improvement or alteration by lawful means” is not sedition.
