The Supreme Court on Monday extended its order of September 6, directing the Manipur Police not to take any coercive actions against four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI).
This extension will be in effect until September 15. The EGI members are facing two FIRs, including charges of promoting enmity between two communities.A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud decided to continue the order until Friday when the case will be heard.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, suggested that the matter be sent to the Manipur High Court for protection of the EGI members, as has been done in other cases. However, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Shyam Divan, representing the EGI, opposed this and requested that the case be heard in the top court since the FIRs were based on a fact-finding report.
The bench agreed to take up the matter on Friday and also mentioned that it will consider the state government’s response on that day.
On September 4, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that a police case had been filed against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India. They were accused of attempting to “provoke clashes” in the state, with the CM describing them as “anti-state, anti-national, and anti-establishment.”
A second FIR was filed against the three EGI members along with President Seema Mustafa, with an additional charge of defamation. The fact-finding team included senior journalists Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan, and Sanjay Kapoor.
The Editors Guild, in a report published on September 2, criticised the internet ban in Manipur for hindering media reporting, accused some media outlets of one-sided reporting, and claimed that there were indications of the state leadership displaying partisan behaviour during the conflict.