Notices issued to Union govt, print and electronic media

Bangalore, Mar 8: Karnataka High Court ordered issue of notices to Union government, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the state government, print and electronic media on PILs praying for a direction to media to telecast the visuals that portray attack on lawyers during the violence in the City Civil Court complex on March 2.

The PIL filed by Advocates Association of Bangalore sought a direction by the court to the print and the electronic media to telecast or publish the clippings and videos showing the assault on the lawyers. They also contended that the act of the electronic media in showing "one sided version" of the incident and its "failure" to broadcast the footage, which shows alleged assault on advocates, was against "professional ethics and conduct".

The PIL also seriously objected to the "provocative and unparliamentarily words" used by the electronic media which defamed the entire advocate community.

A similar PIL filed by advocate Prasad Hiremath also sought a similar direction and blamed two regional channels for "wrong and false reporting" of three police constables having died during the violence which was later openly refuted by none other than City Police Commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji in one of the local channels.

A Division bench, comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna, ordered issue of notices to the respondents on the two PILs and adjourned the matter to March 14.

PTI