Supreme Court stays criminal proceedings against journalists who covered Tripura violence
The Hindu
They had been accused of spreading communal hatred
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed criminal proceedings initiated by the Tripura Police against two journalists and their media house for their coverage of violence in the State.
A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud also protected an associate editor of the same media house in the case.
The court issued notice to the State and sought a reply in a month. The order came on a plea filed by the journalists Samridhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha; Arti Ghargi, who is the associate editor, and their media house, Theo Connect Pvt Ltd, for quashing of the FIRs lodged against them in Tripura.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists