Delhi Riots Larger Conspiracy Case: Court Asks Media To Not Upload Screenshots Of Live Proceedings

A Delhi Court has asked media persons to not upload screenshots of live proceedings while reporting the Court proceedings in relation to the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. (FIR 59/2020)

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat passed the order after Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing accused Khalid Saifi, yesterday objected to a media platform sharing screenshots of images screen-shared by Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad on the screen and uploading the same on social media.

Prasad was opposing bail pleas of seven accused persons including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Meera Haider, Salim Malik, Shahab Ahmed, and Saleem Khan.

"Without going into the specifics of the matter, it is impressed upon to all the media persons that henceforth the screen­shots of the live proceedings be not uploaded," the Judge ordered.

It added "However, there is no hindrance at all on joining and reporting the entire proceedings or arguments advanced by the parties or reporting upon the contents of charge­sheet and accompanying material in the chargesheet."

John had argued that sharing of the screenshots was prejudicial to the privacy of not only the accused persons in the FIR but also to those who were not accused in the matter as the screenshots also contained phone numbers.

Hearing the same, the Judge had orally remarked thus:

"Whosoever is press person, please try to understand, whatever argued in court can be reported but don't take screenshot of proceedings and don't put it anywhere. Don't take screenshots. It's not fair."

"May I again request to all media friends, they may report about proceedings in whichever way they want, they may report, but don't take screenshots of proceedings because it's live proceedings of which recording can't be done."

Yesterday, Prasad had argued that all attempts were made by the accused persons to threaten the integrity and unity of India and that it was the public at large which suffered due to the violence.

The FIR contains stringent charges including Sections 13, 16, 17, 18 of the UAPA, Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act and Section 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act,1984 and various offences mentioned under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

In September last year, main chargesheet was filed against Pinjara Tod members and JNU students Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha and student activist Gulfisha Fatima.

Others who were charge-sheeted included former Congress Councilor Ishrat Jahan, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, Meeran Haider and Shifa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAP Councilor Tahir Hussain, activist Khalid Saifi, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Salim Malik, Mohd Salim Khan and Athar Khan.

Thereafter, a supplementary chargesheet was filed in November against former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and JNU student Sharjeel Imam in a case related to the alleged larger conspiracy in the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.

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