NEW DELHI, 18 Oct: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Gautam Buddh Nagar commissioner of police to grant adequate and effective protection to a journalist who was investigating a corporate fraud and has claimed that he is being stalked and attacked.
A bench headed by Chief Justice UU Lalit passed the order after it was informed that, despite the apex court’s 12 October order, no protection has been granted to the journalist yet.
The issue had cropped up before the apex court on 12 October while it was hearing a plea related to a company which allegedly took loans from 27 banks and siphoned off the money.
The bench had then noted in the order that an affidavit in a sealed cover was placed before it, which indicated that one of the journalists, who was investigating the matter, was being followed by certain unknown people.
“A copy of said affidavit, in a sealed cover, shall be sent to the office of the attorney general, who has assured us that the matter will be looked into and adequate and effective steps shall be taken to ensure personal safety of said person and his family,” the bench had noted in its order passed last week.
On Tuesday, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai mentioned the matter before the bench and said that, despite the order, no protection has been granted to the journalist, who lives in Noida.
The advocates appearing for Uttar Pradesh told the bench that if appropriate directions are issued to the Gautam Buddh Nagar commissioner of police, adequate and effective steps shall immediately be undertaken.
“We, therefore, direct the commissioner of police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, to grant adequate and effective police protection to the person concerned, whose name will be evident from the documents placed in the sealed cover,” the bench said on Tuesday.
It directed that copies of the documents shall also be handed over to the office of the police commissioner.
Dehadrai had on 12 October placed before the court an affidavit in a sealed cover and said the journalist has investigated the corporate fraud and is now facing threats. He had said the man was also attacked on his way home in Noida. (PTI)