34th 2012-2013 Annual Report April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013 Press Council of India, New Delhi PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA Compendium of Adjudications (April 1, 2012- March 31, 2013) New Delhi Printed at : Chandu Press, D-97, Shakarpur, Delhi-110 092 Contents Preface Index of Adjudications of the Council for -- 1 the Period April 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013 Adjudications of the Council -- 16 PREFACE The Press Council of India is required under the statute not only to promote the standards of the press but also to protect it from any onslaught or threats to its freedom. Such threats normally emanate from the authorities of the governments. The Press Council of India enjoys adjudicatory jurisdiction over any decision/action of the government that may be, or may even perceived to be, an attempt to control the freedom of journalists. In its adjudicatory function it also considers the complaints made by public or governmental authorities against the Press for violating the ethics in journalism. I am happy to state that I have, in keeping with the mandate of the Press Council attempted to inculcate the ethos of ethics (rather than punishment) by attempting settlement between the parties or allowing the respondents to make amends for their lapses. This, I feel, is how the Council should function as mediation is, in my opinion, the democratic approach. Adjudications rendered by the Council, including those in which principles of far reaching importance to guide the conduct of the press and the authorities were laid down, during the period under review have been comprehensively covered in this Compendium which I hope and trust the readers will find useful and informative as the earlier ones. Markandey Katju Chairman Press Council of India Index of Adjudications of the Council for the Period April 1, 2012- March 31, 2013 Sl. Parties Date of Decision No. Harassment of Newsmen 1 Complaint of Shri Sandeep Kumar Shukla, Correspondent, April 26, 2012 Black Tiger, Hindi Daily, Khiri, U.P. against Shri K.P. Singh, Forest Ranger, Gola Range, Khiri, U.P. 2 Complaint of Shri Kamlesh Trivedi, Correspondent, Rahat ,, Times, Lakhimpur Khiri, U.P. against Shri Yogender Singh, S.H.O., Police Station-Gola, Khiri, U.P. 3 Complaint of Ali Mohd., Journalist, Apradh Today, ,, Sitapur, U.P. against Shri R.P. Sahi, SHO, Sardar Harmeet Singh and other local police authorities, Sitapur, U.P. 4 Complaint of Choudhary Ved Prakash Chahar, City Chief, ,, Aaj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh against local police authorities and anti-social elements. 5 Complaint of Shri Anil Shukla, Reporter, Aaj, Lakhimpur ,, Khiri, Uttar Pradesh against the Forest Officer, South Forest Department, Khiri, U.P. 6 Complaint of Shri Anand Singh, District Representative, ,, Aaj, Hindi Dainik, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh against District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. 7 Complaint of Shri Lallan Prasad Gupta, Correspondent, ,, Amar Ujala, Mau, U.P. against anti-social elements. 8 Complaint of Shri Vijay Prakash, Representative, Sharp ,, Reporter, Azamgarh, U.P. against the Superintendent of Police, Azamgarh, U.P. 9 Complaint of Shri Naresh Kumar Gupta, Correspondent, ,, Maya Awadh, Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh against Chief Medical Officer, District Hospital, Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. 10 Complaint of Shri Ramanand Singh Chandel, District ,, Correspondent, Saral Sahara, Unnao, Uttar Pradesh against the Superintendent of Police, Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. 1 Sl. Parties Date of No. Decision 11. Complaint of Shri Omprakash Baghel, Editor, Duniya Ek April 26, 2012 Nazar Main, Aligarh, U.P. against anti-social elements, Aligarh, U.P. 12 Suo-motu inquiry initiated against the Government of ,, Uttar Pradesh regarding arrest of Muzaffarnagar based journalist. 13 Complaint of Shri Ashok Rawat, Chief Editor, Braj ,, Kranti, Hathras, Uttar Pradesh against the Divisional Joint Education Director, Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. 14 Complaint of Shri Rajiv Yadav, Journalist, Amar Ujala, ,, District Farukhabad, U.P. against local police authorities. 15 Complaint of Shri Shashi Bhushan Dubey, Bureau Chief, ,, Vindhya Bharat, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh against the local police authorities and liquor mafia, Mirzapur, U.P. 16 Complaint of Shri Sudhir Jain, Journalist, Swadesh, Jhansi, ,, Uttar Pradesh against Additional District Magistrate, Mauranipur and SHO, Mauranipur, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. 17 Complaint of Shri Ganesh Kumar Shukla, Reporter, ,, Adarsh Panchayati Raj, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh against (i) Shri Akhilesh Pandey, CO, (ii) Shri Mahesh Singh, SHO, Rajapur, (iii) Shri Nandlal Singh, SHO, Pahari, U.P. 18 Complaint of Shri P. Dillibabu Reddy, Editor, Asha Jyothi December 21, & Vice-President, Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists 2012 Federation, Chitoor (A.P.) against Shri I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, Executive Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams, Tirupati. 19 Complaint of Md. Hashim Azad Khan, Chief Editor, ,, Azad Par Julm, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh against Shri Sanjay Tiwari, Assistant Regional Transport Officer, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. 20 Complaint of Shri Suresh Gandhi, Correspondent, Dainik ,, Hindustan and Dainik Aaj Tak Channel, Bhadoi, Uttar Pradesh against Shri R.K. Singh, Inspector and Shri Rambali Saroj, Chowki, Nai Bazar, Bhadoi, U.P. 2 Sl. Parties Date of No. Decision 21 Complaint of Shri Santosh Kumar Dixit, Correspondent, December 21, Amar Ujala, Jaunpur (U.P.) against Shri Ram Chander 2012 Gautam, S.H.O., Sarpatahan, Jaunpur, U.P. 22 Complaint of Shri Sanjay Kumar ‘Punnu’ Journalist and ,, President, Shobha Club, Rohtas (Bihar) against Shri Ranjit Mishra, City Superintendent of Police, Darbange, Bihar. 23 Complaint of Shri Ramanand Soni, Bureau Chief, Dainik February 18, Patrika, Bhind, M.P. against Shri Chanchal Shekhar, 2013 Superintendent of Police, Bhind, M.P. 24 Complaint of Shri Jaiprakash Bhardwaj, Correspondent, ,, Chetna Manch, Sahibabad, Gaziabad, U.P. against Shri Chandev Ram Jatav, Ration Dealer, Ghaziabad. 25 Complaint of Shri Amlendu Upadhyay, Assistant- Editor, ,, Swabhiman Times, Ghaziabad, U.P. against Shri Banvari Lal Kushwaha, CMD, Garima Milk Industries and Swabhiman Times and Shri Nirmalendu Saha, Editor, Swabhiman Times, Delhi. 26 Complaint of Shri C.S. Kalra, Editor, University Today, ,, New Delhi against the Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Facilities to the Press 27 Complaint of Shri Shishir Kumar Gupta, Publisher, April 26, 2012 Hukoomat Express, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh against the DAVP, New Delhi. 28 Complaint of Dr. H.H. Majid Hussain, Chief Editor/ August 27, 2012 Publisher, Daily Urdu Action, Bhopal against the DAVP. 29 Complaint of Shri Veerbhadrappa Lingappa Jherkunte, ,, Editor, Jantadhish, Latur, Maharashtra against the SDM, Udgir and RNI. 30 Complaint of Dr. Ravi Rastogi, Editor/Publisher, December 21, Himalaya Aur Hindustan, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand against 2012 the Director General, Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Uttarakhand, Dehradun. 3 Sl. Parties Date of No. Decision 31 Complaint of Shri Jai Prakash Tamkoria, Publisher/ February 18, Correspondent, Chhattisgarh Vaibhav, Korba, Chhattisgarh 2013 against The Directorate, Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. 32 Complaint of Shri Subhash Jain, Chief Editor, Aaj ,, Ki Janta, Indore, M.P. against Department of Public Relations, Government of Madhya Pradesh, M.P. 33 Complaint of Shri Raghunath Singh, Dy. General Manager, ,, Rajasthan Patrika Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur against the Mayor, Jaipur Municipal Corporation, Jaipur. 34 Complaint of Shri Raghunath Singh, Dy. General Manager, ,, Rajasthan Patrika Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur against I&PRD, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. Principles and Publication 35 Complaints of Chairman, Employment Promotion Council August 27, 2012 of Indian Personnel, Mumbai against the Editors, Global Jobs (Times of India), Mumbai, Assignment Abroad Times, Mumbai and Mumbai Mirror, Mumbai 36 Complaint of Ms. Suchita Kumbhar, General Secretary, ,, Network by People Living with HIV & AIDS, Mumbai against the Editor, Mid Day, Mumbai 37 Complaint of Shri Narayan S. Navti, Joint Chief Electoral ,, Officer, Panaji, Goa against the Editor, Navprabha, Panaji, Goa 38 Complaint of Shri Abu Asim Azmi, (Ex-M.P.) and then ,, MLA, Maharashtra, Mumbai against the Editor, The Urdu Times, Mumbai 39 Complaints of Shri P.P. Kapur, Haryana State Convenor, December 21, Labour Organization IFTU, Haryana against the Editors 2012 (i) Punjab Kesari, Jalandhar, (ii) Dainik Bhaskar, Panipat and (iii) Dainik Jagran, Panipat. 40 Complaint of Shri Shamsher Singh, State General ,, Secretary, Indian Justice Party, Ambala, Haryana against the Editor, Punjab Kesari, Ambala Cantt., Haryana. 4 Sl. Parties Date of No. Decision 41 Complaint of Shri Lokesh Kumar Malik, Advocate, December 21, Sonepat, Haryana against the Editor, Dainik Bhaskar, 2012 Panipat, Haryana. 42 Complaint of Shri N. Konda Reddy, Indian National ,, Congress Worker, Kadapa District, A.P. against the Editor, Sakshi Daily, Hyderabad, A.P. 43 Complaint of Prof. M.K. Vasantha, Chairman, Akashdeep ,, Enclave Residence Welfare Society (AERWS), Roorkee, Uttar Pradesh against the Editor, Dainik Jagran, Haridwar 44 Suo-motu actions on reference from Election Commission ,, of India against Dainik Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Prabhat Khabar, Aaj, Rashtriya Sahara, The Hindustan Times, Purvanchal Ki Raah, and Dainik Udyog and Vyapar Times for publication of allegedly ‘Paid News’ during election in the grab of news. 45 Complaint of Shri Sushanta Swain, Orissa against the ,, Editor,