The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the directive of the Centre revoking licence of Malayalam news channel “MediaOne” and banning its telecast on security grounds. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath said the news and current affairs channel will continue its operations as it was operating prior to the ban of the telecast.
“We are of the view that the case of grant of interim relief has been made out. We order and direct that order dated January 31, 2022, of the Union Government revoking the security clearance of Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd stands stayed pending further orders,” the bench ordered.
“The petitioners (Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd and Pramod Raman, editor of the channel, and others) shall be permitted to continue operating the news and current affairs channel ‘MediaOne’ on the same basis as it was operating prior to the revocation of clearances,’’ it said.
The bench passed the order after perusing the files filed by the Centre on the basis of which security clearance was revoked and the Kerala High Court had passed the order upholding the ban on the telecast.
The bench left the question open on whether the content of files on the basis of which the ban order was passed be given to the channel to enable it to defend itself.
The top court asked the Centre to file a detailed counter affidavit by March 26 on the appeals filed by the channel against the High Court order. At the outset, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the media house, said that on Tuesday the Chief Justice of India in another matter disapproved the practice of giving reports in sealed cover. He said the sealed cover business strikes the very basis of law and cannot be encouraged.
Dave added that in the High Court the Centre gave the reports in a sealed cover and they were not given a chance to defend it. The senior counsel said the order of the division bench accepted that the renewal of the license is automatic and then upheld the revoking of license on security grounds.