The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday (April 28) praised the role of citizens on social media who are in urgent need of help.
A division bench of Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan, however, said that a micro percentage of the media cannot be responsible for playing a positive role in nation-building and instead of having the restraint to promote hate speeches, coverage, broadcasts sensational news.
The matter before the Court-
The court was hearing a petition by Amit Ghai seeking anticipatory bail in the FIR under sections 295, A, 298, 153-A, 153-B, 505, 149, 124-A, and 120 B of the IPC.
As per the allegations in the FIR, which was recorded at the behest of Inspector Daljit Singh, he said that he had seen a video clip which went viral on social media, the petitioner and several other persons had called a conference and in which some Disgraceful remarks were made about the Nihang Sikhs who are said to be walking around with swords of 4 or 3 or 2 feet long and giving a bad name to the dress of the Nihang community.
According to the complainant, the video contained an amount of indecent language intended to create communal hatred and which could lead to communal riots by insulting a particular section of society and, therefore, posed a threat to the unity and integrity of the country.
On the contrary, the learned counsel for the petitioner asserted that the video was uploaded on social media, i.e. Facebook and YouTube, by the Chief Editor of Punjab Kesari TV, and in fact, the video was edited in a way that unilaterally gave the version.
It was contended that the conversation exchange between the petitioner and the said press reporter was not intended to hurt the religious sentiments of any community and that by editing the speech of the petitioner, a wrong message was given by the aforesaid press reporter to sensationalize News.
