SC Orders Release Of Senior Journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao
Petitioner’s counsel Siddartha Dave submitted that the remarks were not made by his client but by the panellist
Vijayawada: The Supreme Court on Friday has ordered the release of senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao by granting bail to him as he was arrested by the AP Police in connection with the derogatory remarks made by a panellist on capital city Amaravati while he was hosting a TV show earlier.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan heard the writ petition filed by Srinivasa Rao challenging his arrest and remand.
Petitioner’s counsel Siddartha Dave submitted that the remarks were not made by his client but by the panellist.
The court asked as to how the petitioner could be arrested for the statements made by someone else.
AP’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi submitted that the petitioner was goading and abetting the panelist, who was making such remarks, and was laughing.
Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra observed, “When someone makes an outrageous statement, we laugh if off. They can’t be termed co-conspirators.”
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court passed the order with the observation that, “The petitioner is a senior journalist and is a TV anchor. It is argued that when the petitioner was hosting the TV Show on June 6, a panellist allegedly made an defamatory statement and the petitioner did not object to it rather was seen laughing. It is argued that the petitioner is nowhere concerned with the statement made by one of the panelists.”
The court observed, “Considering that the petitioner himself has not made any such statement and his journalistic participation in a live TV show deserves to be protected so that the freedom of speech is also protected in the process, we direct that the petitioner shall be released in relation to the FIR subject to the conditions to be imposed by the trial court.”
