PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA Annual Report (April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2017) New Delhi Printed at : Chandu Press, D-97, Shakarpur, Delhi-110092 Press Council of India Soochna Bhawan, 8, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi- 110 003 Chairman: Mr. Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad NAME ORGANISATION NOMINATED BY NEWSPAPERS Editors of Indian Languages Newspapers (Clause (a) of Sub-Section (3) of Section 5) Shri Ramesh Gupta All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference and Weekly Tej, Hindi Samachar Patra Sammelan Urdu New Delhi Shri Bipin Newar All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference and Chaapte Chaapte Hindi Samachar Patra Sammelan Hindi Daily, West Bengal Shri Uttam Chandra Hindi Samachar Patra Sammelan and Muzaffarnagar Bulletin, Sharma All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference Hindi Daily Muzaffarnagar, U.P. Dr. Suman Gupta Hindi Samachar Patra Sammelan and Janmorcha, All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference Hindi Daily, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh Shri Prakash Dubey Editor’s Guild of India Dainik Bhaskar, Hindi Daily Nagpur Editors of English Newspapers (Clause (a) of Sub-Section (3) of Section 5) Shri Krishna Prasad Editor’s Guild of India Outlook (English) New Delhi Working Journalists other than Editors (Clause (a) of Sub-Section (3) of Section 5) Shri Kosuri Amarnath Indian Journalists Union, National Union of Journalists(I), Freelancer, Journalist, Press Association and Working News Cameramen’s Hyderabad Association Shri Prabhat Kumar Indian Journalists Union, National Union of Journalists (I), Pratidin Dash Press Association and Working News Cameramen’s Odia Daily, Association Odisha Shri Rajeev Ranjan Press Association, Working News Cameramen’s Aaj Samaj, Hindi Daily, Nag Association, Indian Journalists Union and National Union New Delhi of Journalists (I) Shri Prajnananda National Union of Journalists(I), Indian Journalists Union, Ananda Bazar Patrika, Chaudhuri Press Association and Working News Cameramen’s Kolkata Association Shri S.N. Sinha Indian Journalists Union, Working News Cameramen’s Photo Journalist, Association, National Union of Journalists(I) and Press (Freelancer) Association New Delhi Shri Sondeep Shankar Working News Cameramen’s Association, Indian Photo Journalist, Journalists Union, National Union of Journalists(I) and (Freelancer) Press Association New Delhi Shri C.K. Nayak Press Association, Indian Journalists Union, Working The Shillong Times, News Cameramen’s Association and National Union of Shillong Journalists(I) NAME ORGANISATION NOMINATED BY NEWSPAPERS Owners and Managers of Big, Medium and Small Newspapers (Clause (b) of Sub-Section (3) of Section 5) Shri Hormusji N. Indian Newspaper Society The Bombay Samachar, Cama Gujarati Daily, Mumbai Shri Ravindra Kumar Indian Newspaper Society The Statesman, English Daily, Kolkata Shri Kundan Raman Indian Newspaper Society, Association of Small and Kutch Mitra, Gujarati Lal Vyas Medium Newspapers of India and All India Small and Daily, Kutchh (Bhuj), Medium Newspapers Federation Gujarat Shri Gurinder Singh All India Small and Medium Newspapers Federation, Indian Observer, Indian Newspaper Society and Association of Small and English Fortnightly, Medium Newspapers of India New Delhi Shri Vijay Kumar Indian Newspaper Society, All India Small and Medium Hind Samachar, Hindi Chopra Newspapers Federation and Association of Small and Daily, Jalandhar Medium Newspapers of India Shri Keshav Dutt Association of Small and Medium Newspapers of India, Rajput Maryada, Chandola Indian Newspaper Society and All India Small and Hindi Weekly, Medium Newspapers Federation Kanpur Managers of News Agencies (Clause (c) of Sub-Section (3) of Section 5) Shri G. Sudhakar The Press Trust of India Limited Editor Nair The Press Trust of India Limited, New Delhi Nominees of University Grants Commission, Bar Council of India and Sahitya Academy (Clause (d) of Sub-Section(3) of Section 5) Shri Pankaj Vohra University Grants Commission Shri Apurba Kumar Bar Council of India Sharma Dr. K. Sreenivasarao Sahitya Academy Members of Parliament Nominated by Speaker, Lok Sabha and Chairman, Rajya Sabha (Clause (e) of Sub-Section (3) of Section 5) Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi (Lok Sabha) *Shri Pratap Simha (Lok Sabha) Vacant (Lok Sabha) Shri Prabhat Jha (Rajya Sabha) Vacant (Rajya Sabha) Secretary: Vibha Bhargava Officiating Secretary: Punam Sibbal (Officiating from 4.4.2016 to 28.2.2017) *Membership ceased w.e.f. 9.9.2016 Contents Foreword Chapter I General Review 1 Chapter II Adjudications in Complaints Regarding Threats 48 to Press Freedom Chapter III Adjudications in Complaints Filed Against the Press 60 Chapter IV Report on Murder of Shri Tarun Kumar Mishra, 76 Journalist, Jan Sandesh Times, Sultanpur, U.P. Chapter V Report on Murder of Shri Rajdeo Ranjan, Bureau 78 Chief, Hindustan, Hindi Daily, Siwan, Bihar. Chapter VI Report on Murder of Shri Akhilesh Pratap Singh Yadav, 88 Journalist, Hindi Television, Chatra, Jharkhand Chapter VII Report on Obscene/Vulgar Advertisements 93 Chapter VIII Draft Bill for Prevention of Violence and Attack on 95 Journalists:- Maharashtra Legislative Council Chapter IX Finances of the Council 2016-17 105 Annexures A Gazette Notification dated 28.4.2016 - Amending 130 Rule 10 of Press Council Rules, 1979 B Statement of Cases April 1, 2016- March 31, 2017 132 C Graph of Adjudications 2016-17 133 D Subject Index of Orders Passed by the Press & 134 Registration Appellate Board (2016-2017) E Subject Index of Adjudications in Complaints 137 Regarding Threats to Press Freedom (2016-2017) F Subject Index of Adjudications in Complaints 150 Filed Against the Press (2016-2017) G Index of Principles Enunciated in Adjudications 193 in Complaints Regarding Threats to Press Freedom H Index of Principles Enunciated in Adjudications 194 in Complaints Filed Against the Press Foreword “Freedom of Press is a privilege that no country can forego” - Mahatma Gandhi Press has the power to mould the minds of its readers. It helps public to make an informed decision, however, if the information, it shares in public is distorted or concocted, instead it becomes a disinformation, which is hazardous. Thus, Press Council of India, since 1966, has been constantly striving to protect and preserve freedom of the press and to raise the standards of the Indian press. In the financial year, 2016- 2017, the Press Council of India has performed multi- faceted activities to uphold the dictum of freedom of the press with responsibility. The Council has been dynamic in discharging its major function of adjudication of complaints filed with the Council; for or even against the press. The complaints are received from different parts of India, from different sections of the society against the authorities of the Government for violation of press freedom and against the press for breaching journalistic ethics. Apart from being the quasi-judicial authority in the matters related to the press, the Council has played a significant role in being an advisory body to the legislature and other authorities as required from time to time and guiding the press on matters that have bearing on the freedom of the press and its preservation. In recent years, violent attacks on journalist have become a prevalent phenomenon worldwide. Journalist being the crusaders of truth are generally expected to present an incident/issue from an objective viewpoint, reflecting all dimensions of an issue. However, in most scenarios, while doing their job honestly and dedicatedly, journalists often encounter life-threatening situations, especially those who are reporting from conflict- affected areas. In India, journalists from vernacular newspapers are more exposed to such threats. Journalists from small towns and cities work in odd hours under extreme work pressure, poor infrastructure, inefficient management added with a lack of assurance of safety and security at the job and dearth of experience in tackling sensitive matters. This often makes them susceptible to mortal danger. The Press Council of India, to tackle such menace, in its advisory capacity, has provided the Government and other authorities its views on a variety of issues, including a draft bill for prevention of violence and attack on Journalists. To facilitate newspapers maintain financial stability, the Council has submitted its recommendations on the new advertisement policy released by the Government of India. The Press Council of India in order to carve the restriction in access to information by media, has taken suo-muto cognizance of several matters such as in the case of media restriction in covering the ongoing agitation in the Hyderabad Central University and National Institute of Technology, Srinagar. Suo-mutocognizance of matters concerning death threats and killing of journalists have remained the top priority task of the Council. In several matters of this sort, the Council has formed an independent fact-finding team to investigate the matters and has given its recommendations to the State Government to eliminate the occurances of such unfortunate incidents in connection to the press. The report lays down an analyses of the several meetings of the Inquiry Committee of the Council and also of the Full Council. These meetings were held successfully in the several States of India, creating a wide range of awareness amongst the press fraternity as well as the masses, regarding the significance of the rational use of freedom of speech and expression through media. Further, it presents a compilation of reports prepared by the Council on the several incidences of the killing