SPEAKER SENDS JOURNOS TO JAIL FOR ARTICLES AGAINST MLAs
BENGALURU: The Karnataka Assembly sentenced two editors of Kannada tabloids, including noted scribe Ravi Belagere, to one year in jail for breach of privilege over their alleged defamatory articles against state legislators.
A resolution to punish the two journalists — Belagere, editor of ‘Hi Bangalore’, and Anil Raju, editor of ‘Yelahanka Voice’ — in connection with the publication of the articles was adopted by the Assembly by a voice vote on Wednesday. Besides the jail term, the Speaker also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on each of them.
“The State Assembly has decided to punish the two journalists of Kannada tabloids for (allegedly) publishing defamatory articles against legislators,” Koliwad announced on the floor of the House here. “I approve the recommendation of the privilege committee, which had recommended a year’s imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 on Hi Bangalore and Yelahanka Voice editors,” he said. If the journalists fail to pay the fine, the jail term would be extended to another six months, the Speaker said.
The Assembly secretariat said on Thursday that it will ask police to act on the House resolution sentencing the two journalists.
The Privileges Committee of the Assembly had recommended jail for Belagere and Raju for allegedly publishing articles against legislators, including Koliwad. The article against him was published in the September 2014 issue of Hi Bangalore.
Former Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa referred the issue to the committee after Koliwad, when he was an MLA, lodged a complaint against Belagere.
A RESOLUTION TO PUNISH THE TWO IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THE ARTICLES WAS ADOPTED BY THE KARNATAKA HOUSE BY A VOICE VOTE