SC grants interim protection from arrest to Editors Guild members in Manipur FIR case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday provided interim protection to four members of the Editors Guild of India who were accused of trying to “provoke clashes” and defamation in Manipur FIR case.

The SC bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra directed that no coercive action should be taken against the four Editors Guild members till Monday.

The bench also sought response from the state government on the plea filed by the Editors Guild and fixed the matter on September 11.

Earlier, the top court agreed to hear the plea during the day itself.

On September 4, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said that a police case has been filed on the basis of a complaint against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India and accused them of trying to "provoke clashes" in the state.

A second FIR was also registered against the four members of the Guild, with additional charge of defamation.

The Guild, in a report published on Saturday, had slammed the internet ban in the state as being detrimental to media reportage, criticised what it termed as one-sided reporting by some media outlets and claimed there were indications that the state leadership "had turned partisan" during the conflict period.

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