The police are “targeting and harassing” close relatives of the editors of two tabloids, who were sentenced to one-year imprisonment by the Legislative Assembly, besides booking a criminal case against one of them, it was alleged before the Karnataka High Court on Friday.
While son of Ravi Belagare, editor of Hi Bangalore , was arrested in Hubballi for allegedly not cooperating with the police and later released, some of the close relatives, including women, of Anil Raj, editor of Yelahanka Voice , were taken to police station and detained overnight, alleged Shankarappa, counsel for both the editors.
The young daughter of Mr. Raj was made to stay in the police station till midnight and certain documents have been taken from her, the counsel alleged, while taking serious exception to the action of the law enforcing agency.
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The allegations were levelled when the Court was hearing the petitions filed by the two editors questioning the legality of Assembly’s resolution on sentencing them to imprisonment for breaching the privilege of the legislators by publishing defamatory articles against three – K.B. Koliwad, S.R. Vishwanath and M.B. Nagaraj.
Justice Ashok B. Hinchiger, who is hearing the petitions, took serious exception to the conduct of the police for targeting the relatives of the editors.
“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 counsel for the Speaker and the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges to ensure that the relatives of the editors were not harassed. However, the Court cannot deal this issue further without written statement in this regard.
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“Editors have to undergo some punishment”
Earlier, Additional Advocate General (AAG) A.S Ponnanna, who is representing the Speaker and the Chairman of Privileges Committee, said that both the editors will have to surrender and they should undergo “some punishment” so that the respect for the resolution passed by the House is maintained.
The AAG has also told the Court that Speaker K.B. Koliwad, who had filed complaint of breach of privilege against Mr. Belagere, has said that he would examine the possibility of showing leniency to the editors by convening a session of the legislature for reconsidering the resolution “if the petitioners surrender” and submit a plea for showing leniency.
Both the editors are evading arrest with Mr. Belagare being admitted in the hospital and Mr. Raj “at large,” said Mr. Ponnanna.
These submissions, made by the AAG, were in response to Court’s suggestion for resolving the issue by talking to the Speaker and the Chairman of Committee of Privileges.
However, Mr. Shankarappa said that the editors are ready to appear but they should not be arrested during the pendency of their petition.
To this, Justice Hinchigeri said that the petitioners, particularly Mr. Belagere, should personally appear before the Speaker and tender unconditional apology for not responding to the series of notices issued to him by the Committee of Privileges and as the petitioners were not arrested till now, the same situation should be continued till the House re-examined the resolution. The Court also noted that the privileges of the Legislators are “not codified.”
Observing that the issue can be solved if the authorities approach the problem with an open mind, Justice Hinchigeri asked Mr. Ponnanna to consult the Speaker again on Court’s suggestion while adjourning further hearing till 4.30 p.m.