SC STAYS CENTRE’S ORDER BANNING TELECAST OF MALAYALAM NEWS CHANNEL MEDIA ONE

he Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim relief to Media One by staying the central government’s decision banning the Malayalam news channel and allowed it to resume broadcasting.

A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud allowed running Media One channel on the same basis that it was being operated before its security clearance was revoked. The Court also directed that a counter affidavit be filed in the next two weeks.

Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that many people are losing their jobs and no media channel will be safe in the country if such practice is allowed.

The Supreme Court was hearing the Media One plea challenging the Kerala High Court order which upheld the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to revoke the license of news channel, which will be heard on Friday.

In the Special Leave Petition preferred by Media one, through advocate Pallavi Pratap, the channel said that it has filed the petition under dire and compelling circumstances.

The petition also said that it raises seminal questions of law impinging upon the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the importance of an independent, free and unbiased press guaranteed by the Constitution.

The Kerala High Court on February 8 2022 upheld the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to revoke the license of Media One from the list of permitted news channels citing security reasons.

The Court dismissed petitions filed by the channel against the government order.

While dismissing the writ petition challenging the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Kerala High Court made it clear that principles of natural justice and interference by court in cases of national security have a very limited role.

Rejecting the pleas of the petitioner to keep the judgment in abeyance for two days, the Court replied, “I cannot extend it even for an hour.”

The Single Bench of Justice N Nagaresh further observed in the order that “national security is considered as one of the most important sovereign functions for long.”