Press Council for law to fast-track cases of attacks on journalists

The Press Council of India’s sub-committee, studying atrocities on journalists, has proposed a law to fast-track such cases.

The PCI, which met here on Monday, said not a single conviction had resulted in the cases of about 70 deaths of journalists reported over the last 10 years.

Addressing presspersons at the end of the last council meeting of the PCI, its chairman Markandey Katju said the law would also mandate the creation of a public fund through which a compensation of not less than Rs.10 lakh would be provided to family members of the victim and a provision made to provide a job to the family where the victim was the only bread winner. The sub-committee toured 11 States.

“What is disheartening is that not a single culprit was convicted so far, ” said Amarnath Kosuri, who headed the sub-committee.