HC: Journalist free to publish Indiabulls article, not WSJ

Pulitzer winner Geeta Anand's appeal upheld

A two-judge bench of the Delhi high court has upheld an appeal by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter against an order restraining her from publishing an article on Indiabulls Real Estate and on its legal dispute with Canadian research firm Veritas Investment Corporation.

But the order said the relief was for the reporter only. This means the journalist is free to publish, but WSJ publisher Dow Jones is still bound by the earlier restraint order. The court issued notices to other respondents, including Dow Jones, for the next hearing on August 7.

Mumbai-based WSJ journalist Geeta Anand, who had won a US Pulitzer Prize for journalism, had challenged the April order by the high court saying it was violative of fundamental rights.

The bench, which heard the petition, said in the order dated May 22, "… We are modifying the order passed by the single judge on April 16 to the extent that the appellant would be free to publish her article subject to her complying with the norms of journalistic conduct as issued by the Press Council of India (2010 edition) and, particularly, with regard to paragraph numbers 12, 14, 15, and 26 thereof."

The order added, "This modification has been made only in respect of the appellant."

This means WSJ publisher Dow Jones, which had not appealed against the earlier order, will not get the same relief as Anand.

A Dow Jones spokesperson declined comment. An Indiabulls executive said, "There was a bar on Dow Jones. There is a bar now. Not much has changed."

In April, the high court had restrained The Wall Street Journal and Anand from publishing any report on the Indiabulls group on matters relating to a report published by Canadian research firm Veritas Investment Corporation in 2012 and a legal tussle between the two that followed.

The order followed a plea by Indiabulls Real Estate, which said Anand had sent it a "threatening e-mail" and was about to publish a "defamatory" article on the group.

"The defendants are restrained by an ex parte ad interim injunction from publishing, disseminating or broadcasting reports pertaining to and arising out of the Bilking India report dated August 1, 2012, or any other connected reports defaming the plaintiff till further orders," the single judge order dated April 16 said.
SOME RELIEF

April 16
Delhi HC restrains WSJ and reporter Geeta Anand from publishing

May 6
Appeal by Anand comes up for hearing

May 12-21
Matter part-heard/adjourned

May 22
Order granting relief to reporter; notice to other respondents

August 7
Next hearing