Press doesn’t have exclusive right to criticise anyone: Court

NEW DELHI: Press does not have any exclusive right or special privilege to comment, criticise or make imputations or allegations which are sufficient to ruin a citizen’s reputation, a Delhi court has said.

Further, journalists do not have greater freedom than others, it has said while reminding that the responsibility of the scribes was higher as they have power to disseminate information. The court’s order came as it restrained the managing editor of a magazine from publishing any libellous articles against a man who has alleged that he was defamed. It also directed the editor and another person to pay ₹30,000 and ₹20,000 respectively to the man as “symbolic damages”.

“Journalists are in no better position than any other person. The press does not enjoy any exclusive rights under our Constitution, apart from those enjoyed by a citizen as a concomitant of the freedom of speech and rights against unlawful deprivation of life and liberty guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution,” Additional District Judge Raj Kapoor said.

The court said the press enjoys no special privileges to comment, criticise or even to investigate the facts of any case and rights of press persons are not higher than that of the common man. “In fact the responsibilities of a journalist are higher. The common man has limited means and reach in which he acts. The man, a share broker, had alleged that an article was published in the magazine in 2007 to tarnish his image by using defamatory words.