The Supreme Court on Monday directed two Madhya Pradesh-based journalists, who have accused the Bhind superintendent of police and other officers of custodial assault and harassment, to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court for relief. The court granted them interim protection from arrest for two weeks to allow time to file their plea.A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan told the petitioners—Shashikant Jatav and Amarkant Singh Chouhan—that it was not inclined to entertain their plea under Article 32 of the Constitution. However, noting the gravity of the allegations, the bench permitted them to seek remedy before the High Court.“We are not entertaining the plea. However, looking at the allegations, we permit the petitioners to move the concerned high court within two weeks from today. Till the time the petitioners move high court …the petitioners shall not be arrested,” Justice Mishra said.The journalists have alleged that they were targeted by police due to their reporting on alleged corruption related to sand mining. In their plea, they sought protection from coercive action by the MP Police and claimed they feared for their lives.The petition also accused a senior police officer and his subordinates of kidnapping, custodial assault, and using casteist slurs against them. The bench previously questioned why the Bhind superintendent of police had not been made a party to the petition.”It is very easy to say all kinds of things against an IPS officer without making him a party. Whatever comes to your mind, just put it in black and white against the IPS officer,” the bench remarked.The court also asked why the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi were named as respondents. The counsel for the journalists said the NHRC had been included because a complaint had been filed there, but agreed to remove it from the petition. On the inclusion of NCT of Delhi, it was submitted that both petitioners are currently residing in the national capital.Meanwhile, on May 28, the Delhi High Court had granted Chouhan interim protection for two months after he claimed that the Bhind SP had threatened him following an alleged assault in his office.The Supreme Court has listed the matter for further hearing on June 9.
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