The Madras High Court issued an oral directive on Tuesday to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling the investigation of a sexual assault case at Anna University, ordering them not to harass journalists who reported on the case and whose phones were seized during the investigation.
Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan presided over the hearing involving petitions from the Chennai Press Club and three journalists whose mobile phones were confiscated by the police. The directive was clear: while journalists must cooperate with the investigation, they should not be subjected to undue pressure or harassment.
The issue arose after the First Information Report (FIR) related to the case was leaked, leading to the involvement of the journalists who accessed and reported on the document, which was publicly available on the police’s official website. Advocates K Elangovan, K Balu, Jyothimani, Vivekanandan, and C Arun argued on behalf of the journalists and the Press Club, stressing that their clients adhered to the law by not disclosing the victim’s identity and were merely performing their journalistic duties.
The SIT’s approach to the investigation was questioned, particularly the issuance of a 56-question survey to the journalists, many of which delved into personal and family information, deemed irrelevant to the case at hand. The advocates argued that this constituted harassment, emphasizing that the reporters had been summoned three times and were questioned extensively.
On the other side, Government Advocate Muhilan defended the SIT’s actions, claiming the journalists were not harassed but were simply being asked to participate in the investigation. He assured the court that any irrelevant or unnecessary questions would be removed from the questionnaire.
Justice Ilanthiraiyan, after hearing arguments from both sides, announced his intention to pass a detailed order that would include specific directives aimed at ensuring the investigation proceeds without infringing on journalistic freedoms or the rights of those involved in the case.
