HC suggests panel headed by retd judge to issue press accreditation

A division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice P Velmurugan also indicated that after receiving the proposals from all the stakeholders, it would form a committee comprising a retired judge of the Madras High Court, a senior journalist and a bureaucrat to scrutinise the genuineness of the reporters and thereafter decide and recommend issuance of accreditation card to her/him.

The bench made the oral observations while hearing a petition filed by one S Sekaran, who sought a direction to the Director General of Police to consider his representation dated September 26, 2019, to form a team and investigate the report conveying fallacious Idol theft data submitted by retired IG Pon Manickavel, special officer of the Idol Wing, before the court.

The bench said the fake reporters were blackmailing the officials, politicians and others because of a powerless Press Council of India. The bench also recorded the submission that Chennai Press Club election was last held in 1999 and there were 1,726 members. Similarly, on behalf of MUJ, it was represented that it had conducted the election in 2017 and had 580 members. On behalf of the Reporters Guild, it was submitted that the last election was held in 2018.

While holding that journalists were very essential since without reading newspapers or watching the visual media, the public would not know what was happening, the bench sought the government to regulate the visual media.

Further, directing all the parties to file their replies to the queries raised by the court earlier and their suggestions and proposals to streamline the media and to weed out the fake reporters, the bench posted the case to February 24 for further hearing.