Section 13 Inquiry Committee Meeting Held on 27-28 May, 2019 at New
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Section 13 Inquiry Committee meeting held on 27-28 May, 2019 at New Press Council of India 1. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to murder of Shri Shujaat Bukhari, Editor-in- Chief, Rising Kashmir. (13/39/18-19). 2. Suo-motu cognizance w.r.t. attack on journalist by the CRPF in J&K. (13/90/16- 17). 3. Complaint of Shri Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, Distt. Correspondent/ Acreditated Reporter, Dainik Lokmitra against Shri Prakash Yadav, Conductor, U.P. State Roadways Transport. (13/159/17-18). 4. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to registering case against the Puthiya Thalaimurai TV Channel and its Reporter.( 13/50/18-19) 5. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to restriction on Media in Kerala : Prior permission required to interact with VIPs. (13/149/18-19) 6. Complaint of Shri Samir Paul, Editor/Publisher, Daily Desher Katha, Tripura against the BJP Workers and anti-social elements.( 13/80/18-19) 7. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to assault of journalists in Tripura. (13/173/18- 19) 8. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to attack on journalist by Trinamool Congress activists in West Bengal. (13/9/18-19) 9. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to killing attack on Shri Pankaj Mishra, Journalist of Rashtriya Sahara in Arwal (Bihar). (13/79/17-18) 10. Suo-motu cogniznace with regard to murder of two journalists, Shri Naveen Kumar Singh and Shri Vijay Singh in Bhojpur (Bihar). (13/193/17-18) 11. Suo-motu cognizance with respect to burning and destroying copies of “Arunachal Times” (13/106/17-18). 12. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to summons to Editors and Publisher of “Dawnlit Post” by Itanagar Police. (13/2/18-19) 13. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to burning copies of a Daily Poknapham by BJP workers in Imphal (Manipur). (13/134/17-18) 14. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to assault on journalist-Shri Biplab Dey by timber smugglers in Meghalaya. (13/172/17-18). 15. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to attack on journalists at Ranchi on Jharkhand Foundation Day i.e. 15.11.2018. (13/128/18-19) Agenda for the Inquiry Committee-I Meeting scheduled to be held on 26-27 June, 2019 at Hyderabad. 16. Suo-motu with regard to arrest of Shri G. Bala, Freelance Cartoonist by Tamil Nadu Police.( 13/121/17-18) 17. Suo-motu cognizance w.r.t. arrest of Shri Mohammad Subhan, Senior Journalist by the Telangana Police. (13/38/18-19) 18. Complaint of Shri K.R. Subramanian, Reporter, Journal Juttysuns, Madurai, Tamil Nadu against the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting & Government of Tamil Nadu. (13/74/17-18) 19. Complaint of Shri H. Yunas, President, Thendral News Editors Association, Puducherry against the Government of Puducherry (13/130/18-19) 20. Complaint of Shri P. Sridhar, Vice-President (Advtg. & Mktg.), Jagati Publication Ltd. (Sakshi Daily), Hyderabad against Information & Public Relations Department, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh. (13/47/18-19) 21. Complaint of Shri B.R. Sharan Kumar, Editor, www.racingpulse.in, Bangalore against Bangalore Turf Club Ltd., Bangalore. (13/164/18-19). Agenda for the Inquiry Committee-II Meeting scheduled to be held on 8-9 July, 2019 at Patna. 22. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to death of Sh. Chandan Tiwary, Journalist, Aaj in Jharkhand.( 13/125/18-19) 23. Complaint of Shri Pranab Sarkar, Secretary, Tripura Journalist’s Union, Agartala (West Tripura) against Department of Information & Cultural Affairs, Government of Tripura.(13/147/17-18) 24. Complaint of Mizoram Journalists’ Association, Aizawal (Mizoram) against Assam Police.( 13/31/18-19) 25. Complaint of Shri Vinay Kumar, Reporter, Prabhat Khabar, Khagaria (Bihar) against Shri Kamal Singh, District Public Relations (DPRO), Khagaria (Bihar). (13/166/17-18) 26. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to restriction on media from entering centres of Parliamentary Election Area in Gorakhpur(U.P) (13/188/17-18) 27. Complaint of Shri Sanjiv Nayan, Editor, Samachar Varsha, Palamu against SDM, Sadar Medininagar, Palamu. (13/9/17-18) 28. Complaint of Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh, Bureau Chief, Pratah Kamal, Bihar against Police Station Incharge, Shri C.B Shukla(13/64/17-18) 29. Complaint of Shri Sanjeev Gupta, Correspondent, Prabhat Khabar, Katihar through Indian Journalist Association, Patna against Shri Neeraj Kumar Yadav, MLA, Barari, Katihar and Police Authorities. (13/47/17-18) 30. Complaint of Shri Ravish Kumar Mani, Reporter, Tarun Mitra, Patna against police authorities. (13/158/18-19) Press Council of India S. No. 1 F.No.13/39/18-19-PCI. Suo-motu cognizance with regard to murder of Shri Shujaat Bukhari, Editor-in-Chief, Rising Kashmir. Adjudication dated 22.8.2019 Facts The Press Council of India has come across through various news reports regarding murder of Shri Shujaat Bukhaari, Editor-in-Chief, Rising Kashmir. It has been reported in the news that a senior journalist and chief editor of popular Kashmiri newspaper was killed by unidentified gunmen in a drive by shooting in Srinagar that put an already tense State on edge and led Chief Minister of J&K, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti to describe the attack as a “new low for terrorism”. A journalist for three decades, he had worked for 15 years at The Hindu and was known in the state and the rest of the country as a important Kashmiri voice. Shri Bukhari was an advocate of a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and was instrumental in organising several conferences involving former Diplomats and Generals from India and Pakistan. Shri Bukhari was a contributor to Frontline magazine. While taking suo-motu cognizance of the matter, a Report on facts of the case was called for from the Government of Jammu & Kashmir on 15.6.2018. Hon’ble Chairman also constituted a Fact Finding Committee comprising of PCI’s Members, Shri Parvat Kumar Dash, Shri Ashok Upadhyay and Dr. (Prof.) Sushma Yadav to inquire into the matter and submit report. Report of the Fact Finding Committee The Fact Finding Committee visited Jammu & Kashmir and interacted with various media organizations and family of Shri Shujaat Bukhari and felt that the security lapse was one of the major causes of the murder. The festival of Eid was near and the enforcement of security was reduced. When Shri Bukhari was attacked by assailants, the number of security enforcement was less in comparison to other days. Shri Bukhari was provided five security personnel but Shri Bukhari himself permitted three security personnel to avail leave. When the incident occurred there were only two security personnel with Shri Bukhari. One personnel was driving the car and another was giving him security cover. Three assailants rushed towards the car and fired from sophisticated weapons from three sides. The Fact Finding Committee has recommended that- 1. The administration should take all necessary steps to find out and nab the killers of Shri Shujaat Bukhari. 2. The Security arrangements at Press Enclave should be beefed up. 3. The administration and legislature should seriously consider to enact a special law for the safety of journalists, on the lines of one enacted by the Govt. of Maharashtra. 4. In case of any disputes on publisher matters, the administration should approach the PCI instead of writing for sources and for remedial measures, directly to the Media House. 5. The Information & Public Relations Department (I&PRD) should be in touch with the journalists and media houses more regularly and should interact with them more often. 6. The I&PRD should educate the journalists working on field through Group Meeting, Seminars and workshops regarding the Norms of Journalistic Conduct, enacted by the PCI and all Media Houses should be supplied with the photocopies of the same at the earliest. 7. The I&PRD should convene a meeting of journalist Unions immediately and the reporters should be made aware of the Norms of Journalistic Conduct, specially at the time of Conflict Reporting or reporting from the area of Operations. 8. The Media Houses should categorically be told to supply specific dress/jacket to the working journalists with Media/Press embosses on it, while on the field. 9. The administration should react immediately to the request for protection by a journalist after assessing the quantum of the thrat and necessity. 10. The State Working Journalists Welfare Fund Committee should be reconstituted immediately, having representation from all journalist Unions. More minimum Welfare Measures should be introduced as soon as possible to gain over the goodwill of the working journalist, such as below: a) Family Health Insurance Scheme b) Speedy disposal of accreditation applications c) More lenient accreditation policy. d) Free travel passes in State Transport Buses to the accreditated journalists. e) Free Medical Treatment for all working journalist. The Report submitted by the Committee was placed before the Council in its meeting held on 26.9.2018 at New Delhi and the Council while accepting the Report directed the Secretariat to forward it to the appropriate authority for necessary action. Accordingly, the Report was forwarded to the Government of J&K on 19.11.2018 for necessary action. Report filed by Superintendent of Police, Srinagar The Superintendent of Police, City East Zone, Srinagar vide his status report dated Nil has informed that an FIR No.51/2018 dated 14.6.2018 was registered in Police Station Kothibagh, Srinagar against five accused namely (i) Zubair Qayoom Bhat (ii) Muzafar Ahmad Bhat (iii) Azad Ahmad Malik @ Dadda (iv) Naveed Jat and (v) Sheikh Sajad Gul. It has been stated that a Special Investigation Team was constituted by Inspector General of Police, Kashmir. The Accused No.1 has been arrested on 15.6.2018 and challaned on 25.9.2018 before the Hon’ble Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar and is presently lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar.