Press Trust of India
 
New Delhi, Sep 20: The Delhi High Court on Friday sentenced four senior journalists of Mid-Day to four months imprisonment for contempt of court for writing and publishing news reports against former Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal.

A Division Bench comprising Justice R S Sodhi and Justice B N Chaturvedi, however, directed that they be released on bail in view of the Supreme Court order, asking it to grant them bail after pronouncement of sentence.

"We feel, in this peculiar case, the contemnors have tarnished the image of the Highest Court, the sentence of four months' imprisonment would serve the justice," the Bench said.

The court directed M K Tayal, the Editor, S K Akhtar, the then publisher, Vitusha Oberoi, Resident Editor and Irfaan Khan, cartoonist to furnish a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each and two sureties of the same amount for the bail.

All the contemnors, along with some other journalists, were present in the court when the order of sentence was dictated by the Bench.

The court, on September 11, 2007 had held them guilty, saying that they had crossed the 'Laxman Rekha'.

The publications in the garb of scandalising a retired Chief Justice of India have, in fact, attacked the very institution, which according to us, is nothing short of contempt, the Bench said in its judgement on articles and cartoons that appeared in the newspaper about Sabharwal.

"The Supreme Court in its judgement has clearly laid down the Lakshaman Rekha which we feel the publications have crossed," it said.

The court had on August 20, 2007 reserved its judgment in the contempt case.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the articles published in the city tabloid which alleged that Justice Sabharwal's order on sealing issue had been passed for the benefit of his sons who were involved in real estate business, the High Court, on May 18, 2007 had issued notices to its editor, reporter and publisher.

It later also issued a notice to the cartoonist of the tabloid for making a "caricature" of Sabharwal.

Also see news report:

Live IndiaTV banned for a month

NEW DELHI, Sep 20: Live India TV channel — under fire for its alleged "fake" sting operation — has been banned for a month.

The decision was taken by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry and comes close on the heels of the strong stance taken by Delhi High Court against the channel.

This is the first news channel to be banned in the country. The I&B ministry has previously banned FTV and AXN for vulgar and obscene programming. However, this is the first instance when a news channel conducting a sting operation has come under the ministry's scanner.