Probe ordered into blocking of channels

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to probe within three weeks the allegation that two television news channels were blocked at the behest of the state government for "negative" coverage of the Saifai Mahotsav.

The Lucknow Bench of Justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and D K Upadhyay said "as a friend" of the court the chief secretary should conduct an inquiry within three weeks into circumstances under which the news channels went off air in some districts. The order was passed on a petition filed by a non-government organisation We the People.

The petitioner alleged that due to negative coverage of the Saifai Mahotsava, two news channels were blocked by the cable operators on the orders of the state government.

During the hearing on Wednesday on the basis of instructions received from the chief secretary, Additional Advocate General Bulbul Godiyal submitted "neither there was any ban on broadcasting of the two channels nor the administration stopped airing of the channels through cable in Lucknow or any other district."

The court fixed the next date of hearing after three weeks.