Supreme Court to hear plea of Kashmir Times editor on September 16

Stressing that the Kashmir Times chose not to publish its Kashmir edition, the Centre informed the apex court that contrary to what its editor Anuradha Bhasin claims, a large number of newspapers are being published from Srinagar regularly.

The Leaflet

| @theleaflet_in | September 5,2019

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]UPREME Court on Thursday agreed to hear the petitions filed by Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin and others, challenging alleged media curbs and partial communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir, on September 16.

The three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi and justices SA Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer, issued a notice over separate petitions filed by Bhasin and TehnseenPoonawalla on the alleged media and communication blockade.

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Bhasin apprised the court that even a month after the government scrapped Article 370, journalists were not allowed to move freely in the state. She also contended before the court that government restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir were an absolute “abuse of the State power”.

In counter-argument, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that “She (editor of Kashmir Times) chose not to publish her newspaper from Srinagar” and produced a list of newspapers that have been in the publication from Srinagar.

Attorney General of India, KK Venugopal informed the court that “step by step relaxation was being allowed in Jammu and Kashmir”.

Since the Presidential order that revoked the special status granted to the Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, the state has been witnessing communications blackout in several districts. However, the government started easing the communication blockade in some parts of the state recently.

Case update