Supreme Court Upholds Journalistic Freedom Against Government Criticism

The Supreme Court ruled that criminal charges should not be filed against journalists for criticizing the government. In a case involving journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, the court upheld the principles of freedom of speech, as protected by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, in democratic societies.

The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of safeguarding journalistic freedom, announcing that criminal charges solely based on perceived government criticism in articles are unacceptable.

The bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti underlined that democratic societies respect the freedom of expression and protect journalists under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

This decision arose from journalist Abhishek Upadhyay's plea to dismiss an FIR concerning his report on Uttar Pradesh's caste dynamics. The Court has directed the state government to respond while preventing coercive measures against him until then.

(With inputs from agencies.)