The Karnataka High Court on Friday expressed severe displeasure over the authorities targeting, harassing, and arresting close relatives of the editors, who were sentenced to one-year imprisonment by the Legislative Assembly for breach of privilege for carrying defamatory articles in their tabloids.
Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri expressed concern and issued an oral direction to the Additional Advocate-General A.S. Ponnanna, who is representing the Speaker of the Assembly, to advise the police not to harm relatives of the editors Ravi Belagere of Hi Bangalore, and Anil Raj of Yelahanka Voice .
The allegations were levelled by Shankarappa, counsel for the editors, during the hearing on the petitions filed by the two editors questioning the legality of the Assembly’s resolution of imposing imprisonment on them.
The counsel alleged during the argument in the morning session that Mr. Belagere’s son was arrested and later released in Hubballi for allegedly not cooperating with the police in arresting his father. And, close relatives, including women, of Mr. Raj were taken to the police station and one of them was detained overnight. It was also alleged that a woman relative of Mr. Raj, was made to stay at the police station till midnight. “What is happening in this case? We are living in a democratic country. How can the police indulge in such acts that amounts to human rights violation,” asked Justice Hinchigeri while asking the AAG to ensure that relatives are not harassed.
When the hearing resumed in the afternoon, Mr. Shankarappa said that following his allegation in the morning session of police harassment of relatives, the police are now claiming that one Mohan, a relative of Mr. Raj, was arrested last night, though he was detained by the police for the past three days. To a query by the court, Mr. Ponnanna said that Mohan was arrested on the charge of harbouring a convict and helping him to escape, and he would be produced before the court. When the court asked what was necessary to keep him in custody for so long, the AAG said that the police have 24 hours to produce him.
When the court asked the editors’ counsel why legal action , such as filling habeas corpus petition, was not initiated to protect the relatives, Mr. Shankarappa said the police were “threatening the relatives” of arresting them if they complained to the court.
Telling the AAG that there should not be any “arm-twisting by authorities”, Justice Hinchigeri said arrests should be made only when it is inevitable, and if they have to be produced before the court at the earliest.
