JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 24, 2017
Join our WhatsApp channel
NEW DELHI - The elected assembly of India’s Karnataka state should revoke one-year jail sentences it imposed on two editors in Bangalore, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.
The assembly on June 21 sentenced Ravi Belagere, editor of Hi Bangalore, a Kannada-language weekly tabloid, and Anil Raju, editor of the Yelahanka Voice daily newspaper, to one year in prison and fines of 10,000 Indian rupees (U.S.$155) each for articles the assembly said defamed two of its members, according to media reports.
BM Nagaraj and SR Vishwanath, two members of the assembly, had filed complaints before the legislative privileges committee against the two journalists, arguing that articles the editors had published defamed them. Neither Belagere nor Raju have been arrested, according to press reports.
“Even after coming before the committee and apologizing, Anil Raju continued to publish defamatory articles with mocking pictures,” The News Minute website quoted the committee order as saying.
“It’s ridiculous that a journalist should go to jail for mocking a politician,” CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said from Washington, D.C. “We call on the Karnataka state assembly to reverse the sentences it imposed on Ravi Belagere and Anil Raju immediately and should cease abusing press freedom.”
CPJ’s repeated calls and messages to Belagere and Raju seeking comment went unanswered.
Indian constitutional expert Subash Kashyap explained to The Indian Express newspaper that state assemblies have sentencing authority in “breach of privilege” cases — those which the assemblies deem to obstruct their functioning or show contempt of the assembly, its committees, or its members.
“The [state assembly’s] Privileges Committee submitted a report to the House which unanimously passed a resolution accepting the committee's recommendation. So the question of my individual opinion doesn’t arise," KB Koliwad, speaker of the assembly, told CPJ when asked whether a jail term was excessive punishment for defamation.
The Karnataka assembly's decision follows a precedent set by the Tamil Nadu state legislature. In 1987, the assembly passed a resolution sentencing S. Balasubramanian, editor of Ananda Vikattin, a popular Tamil-language weekly, to three months' in prison for publishing provocative cartoons of legislators. In protest, journalists in Madras—now called Chennai—boycotted the state assembly for a day, according to the newspaper India Today.
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.