The Hindu : National : Hearing today on CNN-IBN plea against U.P. House resolution

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Thursday, Oct 19, 2006
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Hearing today on CNN-IBN plea against U.P. House resolution

Legal Correspondent

Is sting operation in public interest or to make money?

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a petition filed by Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief of CNN-IBN, seeking a stay of the operation of an October 11 Uttar Pradesh Assembly resolution directing him to appear in person to explain a charge of breach of privilege for telecasting a sting operation involving MLAs.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Y. K. Sabharwal and Justices C.K. Thakker and R.V. Raveendran fixed the date after senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi made a `mention' of the filing of the petition, challenging the resolution asking the police to produce Mr. Sardesai on October 27.

Mr. Rohatgi said original copies of the tapes were submitted as demanded by the Assembly. Thereafter a committee held Mr. Sardesai guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the House for his failure to appear before it.

Counsel recalled a similar resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly against the Editor of The Hindu N. Ravi and others, and said the apex court stayed it. Here also the liberty of the individual was involved, and hence the court should take up the matter at the earliest.

In the sting operation telecast earlier this year, three MLAs, including a then minister, were shown purportedly taking bribes and allegedly admitting to involvement in hawala transactions.

Matter for examination

The Chief Justice told counsel "whether the sting operation is in the public interest or it was done to make money will have to be examined one day." He said sting operations were generally outsourced. Very often the tapes were sold for lakhs of rupees. Those who conducted the sting operation did so for minting money and went from one channel to another for selling CDs/tapes.

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