Journalist Investigating Corporate Fraud Says He's Being Stalked; Supreme Court Urges Attorney General To Ensure His Safety

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, urged the Attorney General for India, R. Venkataramani, to take adequate measures to ensure the personal safety of an investigative journalist who was allegedly being stalked and attacked in connection with a corporate fraud he had been investigating. The matter was heard by bench comprising Chief Justice UU Lalit, Justice Ravindra Bhat and Justice Ajay Rastogi. 

The petition in question was concerning a company which allegedly took loans from 27 banks and siphoned money as per a forensic audit report. The counsel for petitioner, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, submitted that the matter concerned siphoning of approximately Rs. 25,000 crores by three publicly listed companies. As per the petitioner, when the companies went into liquidation all those assets were sold. The counsel sought to place on record additional information which he stated had been investigated upon by an investigative journalist. The information was submitted in a sealed cover to the bench. The counsel, while elaborating upon the situation of the investigative journalist submitted–

"He had been investigating the matter side-by-side on his own and those are his findings which he gave us, which are placed before the bench in a sealed cover. He fears for his life. He has been accosted. He lives in Noida and he has been attacked once on the way to his home. Very interestingly, I have also been…somebody has reached out to me as well in my capacity as a lawyer. I thought that I must place these facts before your lordships."

The counsel further requested the bench to appoint a senior counsel as amicus in the matter stating that the magnitude of the matter was quite large. Further, referring to him as "a very credible gentleman", the counsel asked for protection for the investigative journalist. 

Taking in account the submissions made by the petitioner, CJI Lalit requested the Attorney General for his assistance. He said–

"Mr. Attorney General, we want your assistance in the matter. There is an allegation that a particular corporate fraud was being looked into, investigated into, by certain set of people including investigative journalists. Now one of the journalists has filed an affidavit saying that he is being followed, he is being watched, he is being stalked. So there is a perception that perhaps at any given point in time, his personal security may be compromised. We can't disclose the name of the gentleman in form of the order because we don't want it to be known. There may be some kind of apprehension and that apprehension may get fortified in the form of an order that may create further difficulties. So therefore, we're just giving a copy of this to you in the strictest of confidence. You use your office and see to it that the man is provided security."

Accordingly, a copy of the affidavit in sealed cover by the investigative journalist was directed to be sent to the office of the Attorney General, who assured the bench that the matter would be looked into and adequate and effective steps shall be taken to ensure the personal safety of the journalist and his family.

Further, the court appointed Senior Advocate Kavin Gulati to assist the bench as amicus curiae in the matter. The matter has now been listed for 3rd November 2022. 

The Petitioners were represented by Advocates Jai Anant Dehadrai and Sidharth Arora.

CASE TITLE: Jaskaran Singh Chawla vs. Union of India & Ors. (W.P. Crl 246 of 2022)