Media bodies on Monday condemned the registration of an FIR against Gujarat-based journalist Mahesh Langa for alleged possession of confidential documents and called for the withdrawal of charges.
Editors Guild of India, Press Club of India, Press Association, Indian Women's Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists and Kerala Union of Working Journalists said journalists are often required to access sensitive documents in the course of their work, and initiating punitive action against them for doing their work is "worrisome".
"We appeal and demand that the FIR be withdrawn and the harassment caused to Mahesh Langa be ceased forthwith," the media bodies said in a statement.
Langa, who works for The Hindu, was arrested earlier this month by the Ahmedabad crime branch in a GST fraud case, even though he was not named in the primary FIR, the statement said.
The second FIR was registered against him on October 22 following a complaint by the Gujarat Maritime Board for allegedly possessing certain documents.
"Journalists are often required to access and review sensitive documents in the course of their work and initiating punitive action against them for doing their work is worrisome," the Guild said.
It hoped that Langa would not be deprived of fair and speedy justice and urged Gujarat Police to disclose details about the second set of accusations levelled against him over the possession of confidential documents.
Earlier, Suresh Nambath, the Editor of The Hindu, had voiced deep concern over the second FIR against Langa and asked Gujarat Police to drop the charges related to possession of classified documents against him.
"We would like to reiterate that journalists are required to process documents, including those of a confidential nature, in the line of their work. They are guided by the larger public interest in perusing documents that are official or confidential," Nambath had said.
"To file charges against them for the possession of such documents is to undermine their journalistic work and their fundamental rights and to subvert the public interest. We urge Gujarat Police to drop the charges relating to the possession of classified documents against Mahesh," he had said.
