The Indian media and certain prominent journalists came under the Supreme Court scanner on Tuesday for allegedly receiving pay-offs and favours from the Italian firm AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica to publish reports in favour of the VVIP chopper deal.
A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Arun Mishra agreed to hear noted journalist and author Hari Jaisingh’s plea that the top court should intervene in the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) and direct them to submit a status report on whether the media played a role in the deal.
The court asked Mr. Jaisingh, represented by senior advocate Geeta Luthra, to provide the CBI and the ED copies of his petition.
The CAG had, in a report presented in Parliament in August 2013, said significant departures were made from the Defence Procurement Procedure Rules (DPPR) 2006 to award the ₹3,727-crore contract for 12 helicopters.
Mr. Jaisingh asked the Supreme Court to set up a commission of inquiry under the stewardship of a retired judge of the apex court or any other eminent person to investigate “allegations of corruption and influence-peddling in the Indian media, and to suggest corrective measures to safeguard against such ills”.
Pointing to leakage of classified documents dealing with big-ticket procurement and plans from the Defence Ministry, Mr. Jaisingh said: “...it is therefore crucial to note that such active nexus between the so-called agents of defence dealings with journalists should be scrutinised by this Honourable Court.”
Mr. Jaisingh said a journalist is “akin” to a public servant.
The former, considering the sacredness of his duty to the public, should bear the same responsibility and show the same restraint as the latter.
