Supreme Court quashes sedition case against journalist Vinod Dua
The journalist was charged by the Himachal Pradesh police for criticising last year’s national lockdown to contain the pandemic.
The Supreme Court today quashed the Himachal Pradesh police’s sedition case against journalist Vinod Dua. The case was based on a video uploaded on Dua’s YouTube channel last year criticizing the Covid lockdown imposed by the Narendra Modi government.
Support Independent Media
The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.
ContributeAccording to Bar and Bench, Dua was additionally accused of spreading fake news, causing public nuisance, printing of defamatory matter and making statements conducive to public mischief.
Quashing the FIR, the court said, “Every journalist will be entitled to the protection under Kedar Nath Singh judgement. We reject the prayer that no FIR can be registered against any media personnel with 10 years experience unless cleared by committee.”
In June 2020, the Supreme Court had issued interim directions to protect Dua from arrest in the case but declined to stay the FIR filed in Himachal Pradesh. The Delhi police had also registered an FIR against Dua on June 4 for the same video. However, the FIR was stayed by the Delhi High Court on June 10.
Sedition case: Vinod Dua asks SC to issue guidelines on filing of FIRs against journalists
Vinod Dua humbly apologises for the Gadkari gaffe. Sort of.
Power NL-TNM Election Fund
General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.
Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?