WWW.LIVELAW.IN 1 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (ST) NO. 92252 OF 2020 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 95156 OF 2020 1. Mr. Nilesh Navalakha } Age: 44 Years, Occ: Businessman } Social activist, Indian Inhabitant, } Address: 620, Pentagon, } Shahu College Road, } Parvati, Pune 411 009. } } 2. Shri Mahibub D. Shaikh } Aged: 62 Years, Occ: Businessman } Social activist, Indian Inhabitant, } Address: 6, Sahyadri, } Old Employment Chowk, } Solapur, Maharashtra 413 001. } } 3. Shri Subhash Chander Chaba } S/o Late Ram Prakash Chabba } Age – Major Years, Occ: Pensioner, } Social activist, Indian Inhabitant, } House No. 402, Sector 21, } Panchkula (Haryana) 134 116. } Petitioners Versus 1. Union of India } Through the Secretary / Joint Secretary } (P & A) Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) } Ministry of Information and Broadcasting } Room No. 552, A Wing, Shastri Bhawan, } New Delhi 110 001. } } 2. Press Council of India } The Secretary, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Floor, } Soochna Bhawan, 8, C.G.O. Complex, } Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003. } } 3. News Broadcasters Association } The Secretary General, Mantec House, } C-56/5, 2nd Floor, Sector 62, } Noida 201 301. } WWW.LIVELAW.IN 2 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 4. Central Bureau of Investigation } Through its Officer } Plot No. 5-B, 6th Floor, CGO Complex, } Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003. } } 5. State of Maharashtra } The Chief Secretary, CS Office, } Main Building, Mantralaya, 6th Floor, } Madame Cama Road, Mumbai 400 032. } } 6. The India Today Group } The Authorised Person } Mediaplex FC-8, Sector -16A, } Film City, Noida – 201 301. } } 7. Times Now } The Authorised Person } 1st Floor, Trade House, } Kamala Mill Compound, } Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, } Mumbai 400 013. } } 8. Republic TV } The Authorised Person } Wadia International Centre, } Kamala Mills Compound, } NBW Building, Bombay Dying, } Pandurang Budhkar Marg, } Century Mills, Lower Parel, } Mumbai 400 025. } } 9. NDTV Ltd. } The Authorised Person } 207, Okhla Industrial Estate, } Phase 3, New Delhi 110 020. } } 10. News 18 } The Authorised Person } Global Broadcast News, } Express Trade Tower, } Plot No. 15-16, Sector 16A, } Noida – 201 301. } } 11. Zee News } The Authorised Person } 14th Floor, “A” Wing, Marathon Futurex, } N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, } Mumbai 400 013. } WWW.LIVELAW.IN 3 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 12. Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), } through the Zonal Director, } Exchange Building, 3rd, SS Ram } Gulam Marg, Ballard Estate, Fort, } Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 001. } } 13. Enforcement Directorate (ED), } through its Joint Director, } Mumbai Zonal Office, Kaiser-i-Hind, } 4th Floor, Currimbhoy Road, Ballard } Estate, Mumbai 400 001. } } 14. ABP News } through its Authorised Person } A-37, Sector 60, Ashok Marg, } Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201 307. } } 15. India TV } through its Authorised Person } India TV Broadcast Centre, } B-30, Sector 85, Noida 201 305, } Uttar Pradesh. } } 16. News Nation } through its Authorised Person } Plot No. 14, Sector 126, Noida 201 301 } Uttar Pradesh, India. } } 17. News Broadcasters Federation } through its Authorised Person } 3-B, GG-2 Block, Vikaspuri, } New Delhi 110 018. } Respondents Mr. Devadatt Kamat, Senior Advocate a/w Mr. Rajesh Inamdar with Mr.Shashwat Anand, Mr. Pankaj Kandhari, Ms. Smita Pandey, Mr.Amit Pai, Mr. Vishal Jagwani, Kevin Gala, Siddharth Naik, Pinky Chainani, Mr. Ankur Azad, Mr. Sarveshwari Prasad, Mr. Rahat Bansal, Mr. Faiz Ahmad. i/b Mr. Pankaj Kandhari for Petitioners. Mr. Anil Singh, Additional Solicitor General a/w Mr. Sandesh Patil, Mr.Aditya Thakkar, Mr.Amogh Singh, Ms. Apurva Gute, Mr. Chintan, Mr. Mayur Prashant Rane, Mr. Sumedh Sahakari, Mr. D. P. Singh, Ms.Reshma Ravapati, Mr. Saurabh Prabhulkar and Medvita Trivedi for respondent Nos.1, 4, 12 and 13. None for respondent No.2 (Press Council of India). WWW.LIVELAW.IN 4 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 Mr. Arvind Datar, Senior Advocate i/by Mr. Bharat Manghani for respondent No.3 (NBA) Mr. P. P. Kakade, Govt. Pleader with Mrs. R. A. Salunkhe, AGP for respondent No.5 -State. Mr. Rajeev Pandey with Mr. Madhur Rai i/by PRS Legal for respondent No.6(The India Today Group). Mr. Kunal Tandon a/w Ms. Prachi Pandya i/by Corporate Attorneys for respondent No.7 (Times Now). Ms. Malvika Trivdei a/w Mr. Saket Shukla, Mr. Vasanth Rajshekharan, Mr. Mrinal Ojha, Mr. Debashri Datta, Mr.Rajat Pradhan, Ms. Madhavi Joshi and Mr. Siddhant Kumar i/by Phoenix Legal for respondent No.8 (Republic TV). Mr. Angad Dugal, Mr. Govind Singh Grewal, Shiva Kumar, Tanya Vershney, Raj Surana a/w Rishi Murarka for respondent No.9 (NDTV Ltd.). None for respondent No. 10 (News 18). Mr. Ankit Lohiya a/w Mr. Hetal Thakore, Mr. Kunal Parekh, Ms. Bhavika Tiwari i/by Dua Associates AOR Mumbai for respondent No.11 (Zee News). Ms. Hetal Jobhanputra for respondent No. 14 (ABP News). Mr. Jayant Mehta a/w Mr. Alankar Kirpekar a/w Mr. Tejveer Bhatia, Mr. Rohan Swarop, Mr. Shekhar Bhagat i/by MAG Legal for respondent No.15 (India TV). Mr. Siddhesh Bhole, Mr. Rishabh Dhanuka i/by Alba Law Offices for respondent No. 16 (News Nation). Mr. Siddharth Bhatnagar, Senior Advocate a/w Mr. Pralhad Paranjape for respondent No. 17 (NBF). WITH CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (ST) NO.1774 OF 2020 1. Shri Mahesh Narayan Singh } Age: About 77 years, } Occ: Director General of Police } WWW.LIVELAW.IN 5 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 (Retd.) and Former Commissioner } of Police, Mumbai } R/o 61, Sagar Tarang Co.Op.Hoc. } Society, Worli Seaface, } Worli, Mumbai 400 030. } } 2. Shri Parvinder Singh Parsicha } Age: 72 years, Occ: (Retd) } Maharashtra Director General of } Police, R/o Flat 1103, Tower-A, } Vivarea Towers, Sane Guruji Marg, } Mumbai 400 011 } } 3. Shri K. Subramanyam } Age: 68 Years, Occ: (Retd.) } R/o 1302, ‘GODAVARI’, } Sir Poochkhanwala Road, } Worli, Mumbai 400 030. } } 4. Shri Dhananjay N. Jadhav } Age: 72 years, Occ: (Retd), } Mumbai Commissioner of Police, } 1302, Amar Co-Op. Society, } Plot No. 7, Sector 58A, Nerul } Navi Mumbai 400 706. } } 5. Shri Dhanushkodi Shivanandan } Age: 69 yrs. Occ:(Retd) Maharashtra } Director General of Police, } R/o Ashoka Tower, B/1803, Dr. B. A. } Road, Parel, Mumbai 400 012. } } 6. Shri Sanjeev Dayal } Age: 65 years, Occ:(Retd) } Maharashtra, Director General of } Police, R/o 41, Jasmine Madhusudan } Kelkar Road, Bandra East, Mumbai. } } 7. Shri Satish Chandra Mathur } Age: 62 yrs. Occ: (Retd), } Maharashtra Director General of } Police, R/o Flat No. 81/8th Floor, } Jupiter Apartment, 41, Cuffe Parade } Near Taj Vivanta, Mumbai 400 005. } } 8. Shri Krishipal Raghuvanshi } Age: 65 yrs. Occ:(Retd), Director } General of Police and Former } WWW.LIVELAW.IN 6 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 Chief of Anti Terrorist Squad, } Maharashtra, R/o Flat No. 2022, } Leona Building, Rhodas Enclaves, } Hiranandani Estate, Ghodbandar Rd. } Thane West 400 067. } Petitioners Versus 1. Union of India } Through the Secretary / Joint Secretary } (P & A) Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) } Ministry of Information and Broadcasting } Room No. 552, A Wing, Shastri Bhawan, } New Delhi 110 001. } } 2. Press Council of India } The Secretary, Sector – 62, } Noida 201 301 } } 3. News Broadcasters Association } The Secretary General, Mantec House, } C-56/5, 2nd Floor, Sector 62, } Noida 201 301. } } 4. News Broadcasting Standards Authority } Having its office at C/o News } Broadcasters Association Mantec House, } C-56/5, 2nd Floor, Sector 62, } Noida 201 301 } } 5. State of Maharashtra } The Chief Secretary, CS Office, } Main Building, Mantralaya, 6th Floor, } Madame Cama Road, Mumbai 400 032. } } 6. News Broadcasters Federation } through its Secretary General } 3-B, GG-2 Block, Vikaspuri, } New Delhi 110 018. } } 7. The India Today Group } Through The Authorised Person } Mediaplex FC-8, Sector -16A, } Film City, Noida – 201 301. } } 8. Times Now } The Authorised Person 1st Floor, } Trade House, Kamala Mill Compound, } Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, } WWW.LIVELAW.IN 7 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 Mumbai 400 013. } 9. Republic TV } The Authorised Person } Wadia International Centre, } Kamala Mills Compound, } NBW Building, Bombay Dying, } Pandurang Budhkar Marg, } Century Mills, Lower Parel, } Mumbai 400 025. } } 10. NDTV Ltd. } The Authorised Person } 207, Okhla Industrial Estate, } Phase 3, New Delhi 110 020. } } 11. News 18 } The Authorised Person } Global Broadcast News, } Express Trade Tower, } Plot No. 15-16, Sector 16A, } Noida – 201 301. } } 12. Zee News } The Authorised Person, 14th Floor, } “A” Wing, Marathon Futurex, } N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, } Mumbai 400 013. } } 13. ABP News } The Authorised Person } ABP News Centre, 301, } Boston House, 3rd Floor, Suren Road, } Andheri – East, Mumbai 400 093. } } 14. India TV } The Authorised Person } India TV Broadcast Centre, } B-30, Sector 85, Noida 201 305, } Uttar Pradesh, India. } } 15. News Nation } The Authorised Person } Plot No. 14, Sector 126, } Noida 201 301 } Uttar Pradesh, India. } Respondents WWW.LIVELAW.IN 8 Judgment-PILST.92252.2020+4 Mr. Aspi Chinoy, Senior Advocate a/w Mr. Gaurav Joshi, Senior Advocate with Mr. Chetan Kapadia, Mr. R. Sarda, Mr. A. Joshi, Mr. F. Patel, Mrs. Manik Joshi, Mr. M. Bajpai, Mr. G. Gangal i/b. M/s.Crawford Bayley & Co., for the Petitioners. Mr. Anil Singh, Additional Solicitor General a/w Mr. Sandesh Patil, Mr.Aditya Thakkar, Mr.Amogh Singh, Ms. Apurva Gute, Mr. Chintan, Mr. Mayur Prashant Rane, Mr. Sumedh Sahakari, Mr. D. P. Singh, Ms. Reshma Ravapati, Mr. Saurabh Prabhulkar and Medvita Trivedi Adv. for respondent No.1-UOI. None for respondent No.2 (Press Council of India). Mr. Arvind Datar, Senior Advocate a/w Mr. Bharat Manghani for respondent No.3 (NBA). Mr. Arvind Datar, Senior Advocate i/by Mr. Bharat Manghani a/w Nisha Bhambani a/w Rahul Unnikrishnan and Mr. Tarun Krishnakumar for respondent No.4 (NBSA). Mr. Deepak Thakare, Public Prosecutor a/w Mr. Y. P. Yagnik, APP a/w Dr. F. R. Shaikh, APP for respondent No.5-State.