PR/17/2003-04                                                             Dated 22.3.04

Council censures Dainik Bharati, Katni

           The Press Council which met in New Delhi on 17.3.2004 under the Chairmanship of Mr. Justice K. Jayachandra Reddy adjudicated upon a total of 138 complaints, 14 filed by the Press and 124 filed by the individuals or institutions against the Press. Out of these 83 matters were disposed of with directions, 24 matters were dismissed either for lack of substance or the matters having become sub-judice, in 13 matters the papers were admonished or warned two matters were withdrawn while in 16 matters, the Council censured the newspapers. Apart from these 209 cases were dismissed at preliminary stage. 

The Council censured Dainik Bharati, Katni for publication of series of defamatory news items against Shri Pawan Mittal alleging that the respondent editor, in the guise of complying with direction of the Council given earlier, had distorted his contradiction in such a way that it further defamed him. The respondent, was publishing his paper on the strength of stay order of the Press & Registration Appellate Board and had been directed not to publish further defamatory articles/news items against the complainant, but he went on to publish series of defamatory news items against him. The Council on consideration of the submissions of the complainant and in the absence of reply of the respondent noted that the respondent editor, Dainik Bharati had obtained an interim stay on 21.2.2002 from the Press & Registration Appellate Board with the direction that the appellant should not publish anything defamatory of the complainant besides to duly publish the particulars of the newspaper as required under Section 5 of PRB Act,

1867. But inspite of the direction given by the Press & Registration Appellate Board to the respondent-editor, he published series of news items in Dainik Bharati. The Council thus held that the respondent-editor had honoured in breach the directions given by the Press & Registration Appellate Board and started a vilification campaign against the complainant by publishing unverified and defamatory news reports. Upholding the complaint the Council opined that the Appeal of “Shri Santosh Kumar Aggarwal, Editor/Publisher, Dainik Bharati, Katni (M.P.) against the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Katni (M.P.)” should be urgently posted before the Press & Registration Appellate Board for vacation of the stay granted by the Board and disposal of the Appeal on merits.