VIJAY GUPTA Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Aggrieved by the suspension of his accreditation as a Journalist, the petitioner has filed the instant petition for the grant of following substantive reliefs:

(2.) It is averred that the petitioner is the Editor of the Hindi Weekly namely 'Him Ujala' circulated in Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Utter Pradesh and Haryana having around 6,000/- copies circulation per week. The petitioner is working in the field of journalism for the past more than 13 years and has served the interest of the general public by bringing out the true and correct news items. The petitioner news weekly has been given award in the field of journalism by the Government of Himachal Pradesh i.e. 'Laghu Patrikarita ke Kshetra me Nirantar Parkashan Hetu', yet the accreditation of the petitioner has been cancelled only on the ground that there are certain FIRs pending against him.

(3.) It is further averred that the impugned action on the part of the respondent-State in stopping publication of the tenders and classified ads of the government and further not renewing the accreditation of the petitioner, is a direct attack on the freedom of press, inasmuch as, on one hand, the petitioner's news weekly is being financially crippled as the publication of the government tenders, notices and classified ads is a major source of income of the petitioner so as to enable him to run the news weekly and on the other hand the respondents by not renewing the accreditation, is depriving the petitioner the facilities which are usually available to the correspondents and journalists of the State. It is further averred that the freedom of press is one of the pillars of democrary and it is imperative to ensure that there is no attack on the freedom of press and, therefore, also the action of the respondents-State is illegal.