Editors Guild informs Supreme Court that army requested them visit to Manipur

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) informed the Supreme Court on Monday that a member of its team had been to Manipur at the request of the Army in order to conduct a "objective assessment" of the "unethical and ex parte reporting" that had been done by the local media.

“We did not volunteer… It’s a letter from the Army to the Editors Guild dated July 12, 2023… It’s an invitation by the Army to the Editors Guild saying see what’s happening there. Unethical and ex-parte reporting of incidents of Manipur by vernacular media. If Your Lordships go through this letter, you will realise what’s happening. It’s at their invitation that we went there,” Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, informed a three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.

Editors Guild, some of whose members are facing FIR over a report on coverage of Manipur clashes, tells Supreme Court that they went to Manipur at the request of the Army. @IndianExpress

— Ananthakrishnan G (@axidentaljourno) September 11, 2023

But the bench, which also included Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, wondered why the Army would make such a plea.

The Court continued the temporary protection from arrest given to the petitioners when it continued the matter for further hearing on September 15.