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SC extends protection again for 2 weeks to EGI Members

The Supreme Court on Friday decided to extend the protection from coercive action granted to four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) by an additional two weeks. This extension pertains to their involvement in two FIRs filed against them in Manipur. The allegations in question accuse them of promoting enmity between different groups. […]

The Supreme Court on Friday decided to extend the protection from coercive action granted to four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) by an additional two weeks. This extension pertains to their involvement in two FIRs filed against them in Manipur. The allegations in question accuse them of promoting enmity between different groups. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra requested a response from the complainant responsible for initiating the FIRs against EGI and its four members. The court sought clarification on how the charges of promoting enmity among different ethnic groups were substantiated.
Representing the Manipur government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that the Supreme Court could continue safeguarding EGI and its members for an extended period. He also proposed the possibility of transferring the case to the Delhi High Court if the bench found it appropriate.
Previously, on September 11, the Supreme Court had extended protection from coercive measures for EGI and its members until the present date. Additionally, the court had solicited the opinion of the Manipur government regarding the transfer of their plea to quash the FIRs and seek other forms of relief to the Delhi High Court for further deliberation. On September 4, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh disclosed that a police case had been registered based on a complaint against the President and three members of the Editors Guild of India. They were accused of attempting to “provoke clashes” in the state. A second FIR against the same four individuals included an additional charge of defamation.
The initial complaint against the EGI President and the three members stemmed from Ngangom Sarat Singh, a retired engineer previously employed by the state government. The second FIR was filed by Sorokhaibam Thoudam Sangita of Khurai in Imphal East district. The individuals implicated in these cases, apart from EGI President Seema Mustafa, include senior journalists Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan, and Sanjay Kapoor. They had visited the state between August 7 and 10 to conduct a study on media reporting related to ethnic violence.

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