The Press Council of India (PCI) has adopted an internal report on the alleged assault on journalists outside self-styled godman Rampal's ashram which holds that Haryana Police employed "unconstitutional" tactics to prevent the media from doing its duty.
Recommending investigation by administrative officers into the episode, the four-member committee of PCI had in its report said that the police and local administration had failed to rise to the situation and resorted to "brute force" against mediapersons who were doing their duty.
Sources said that PCI has recently adopted the report.
"The committee's key finding is that the assault on media personnel and equipment amounts to a prima facie violation of fundamental freedom guaranteed to the media under Art. 19(1) (a) of the Constitution," said the report, which was prepared after talking to 120 mediapersons.
Several mediapersons were among those injured on November 18 as clashes erupted at Rampal's ashram in Barwala in Hisar district with police lobbing teargas shells and using batons to disperse his supporters.
PCI had set up the committee comprising Sondeep Shankar as its convener along with Kosuri Amarnath, Rajeev Ranjan Nag and Krishna Prasad to probe the incident.
In its recommendations, the committee has sought a probe by administrative officers into the matter as also compensation for the injured mediapersons and for those whose equipment was damaged during the incident.
It had also sought identification and suspension of the policemen responsible for the attack on mediapersons and fast- tracking of their cases. The panel also said that false cases foisted on mediapersons should be withdrawn immediately.
It observed that TV channels had aired disturbing visuals of people injured in the police action being dragged out of the operational area by policemen in a most inhuman manner.
"Haryana Police employed unconstitutional and inhuman tactics to prevent the media from discharging its duties," the panel had added.
