CJI Deepak Misra raps media, says it can't become Popes overnight

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Deepak Misra on Thursday strongly criticised the electronic media and said it cannot become "Popes" overnight and should act responsibly.

"We respect freedom of the press but it has to act responsibly. Electronic media can't think they become Popes overnight," Misra said while hearing a defamation case against news portal The Wire filed by Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah.

Asserting that his comments were not related to the case, Misra used strong words against electronic media and said, "Many in electronic media think they can write anything. Whatever suits your imagination can you write anything and get away?”

“Can some people sit on the pulpit and write anything? Is that journalism?" Misra added.

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In its story, The Wire had alleged that the turnover of Jay Shah’s company Temple Enterprise grew exponentially after the BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014.

Jay Shah had filed a criminal defamation case in a metropolitan court in Ahmedabad against the news portal for publishing a “defamatory” story against him.

The lower court had barred The Wire from writing against Jay Shah and his businesses. The portal challenged the court’s order in the Gujarat High Court and filed a petition seeking cancellation of the case.

The High Court in January had rejected the plea, saying the article can be "prima facie termed as defamatory".

Now, the Supreme Court has put the defamation case against the news portal on hold until next hearing on April 12.