SC stays UP Assembly proceedings against TV channel

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proceedings initiated by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Legislative Assembly on a privilege notice against editorial management and journalists of two channels belonging to TV Today group in connection with a sting operation on Muzaffarnagar riots in September 2013.

"The proceedings against petitioners by the UP Legislative Assembly shall remain stayed," a Bench of justices J S Khehar and C Nagappan said and asked UP government and its legislative assembly to file their response within four weeks on the petition by the channel and its staffers.

The UP legislative assembly committee had probed the sting operation, broadcast channels, and held several staff members of TV Today group guilty of breach of privilege of Azam Khan, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the Samajwadi Party government in the state and an MLA from Rampur constituency.

In its report, the committee had recommended action against the staffers, as well as against police and administration officials for their alleged conduct before the team of TV journalists involved in the sting operation. Senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the TV Today Network's channels — Aaj Tak and Headlines Today (now India Today) — submitted that UP assembly had no locus standi to direct journalists to appear before it for having conducted the sting operation since it pertained to a matter outside the assembly and did not in any way impede the functioning of the House or any of its members.

Sorabjee had filed a Special Leave Petition in the SC under Article 32 of the Constitution.

Additional Advocate General of the state Gaurav Bhatia sought some time to file counter affidavit so as to enable him to place the complete picture of the controversy on the record of this case.

In a statement, the media house said its team cooperated fully with the committee when asked on multiple occasions to appear for questioning and share raw footage. "For the faith of the citizens in the independence of our judiciary and its concern for the freedom of the press has been vindicated by the Supreme Court,” the statement quoted Sorabjee as having said.