![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-77341465,imgsize-445787,width-400,resizemode-4\/77341465.jpg\" "\\"Calcutta")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\nCalcutta high court<\/span><\/p>\n KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has said it is the fundamental right of a reporter to publish news of \u201cany illegal\u201d activity \u201cin an honest way\u201d and \u201cproper reporting\u201d can help the administration act against offenders.
A division bench of Justice Bibek Chaudhuri and Justice Soumen Sen made this observation while granting anticipatory bail to a Birbhum journalist whose report on illegal sand-mining prompted three FIRs against him in three police stations.
\u201cA press reporter is expected to make the public aware of any illegal activity in an honest way. Proper reporting of such incidents would assist the administration in taking appropriate measures against offenders,\u201d the bench said on July 30.
The report mentioned a police vehicle chasing a sand-laden truck that led to an accident in which a person died; it also spoke of some cops collecting bribes from the truck\u2019s occupants. \u201cIt cannot be denied that incidents of police taking bribes from vehicles are being frequently noticed and reported,\u201d the HC said, adding that it felt a case was registered \u201cto stifle and muzzle\u201d the reporter\u2019s voice.
The court directed the Birbhum superintendent of police to probe the registration of the FIRs against the reporter and investigate the bribery incident mentioned in the report and \u201ctake appropriate action against the offenders\u201d.
The bench said it would not go into the merits of the allegations while deciding on the anticipatory bail. \u201cAt this stage, we are not concerned with the falsity or truth of what has been published. But, considering the report and the nature of the offence in the complaint, we feel there is hardly any necessity for the petitioner to be taken in custody for interrogation,\u201d it added. The HC said the complainant (against the reporter) was \u201cliable to be prosecuted\u201d if the contents of the report were found to be true.
The reporter\u2019s advocate, Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee, said the news article focused on illegal sand-mining from the bed of the river Ajay. \u201cThis presumably irked three persons who lodged separate FIRs in Ilambazar, Bolpur and Santiniketan. The reporter was questioned four times and moved three separate anticipatory bail pleas because he apprehended arrest,\u201d he added.
(Inputs from Someswar Boral in Suri)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n