Supreme Court gives relief to journalist Mamta Tripathi, stops punitive action, issues notice to UP's Yogi government

Delhi/Lucknow : Journalist Mamta Tripathi has got a big relief from the Supreme Court in the case of a story related to alleged caste bias in the Uttar Pradesh administration. The Supreme Court has banned any action against Mamta Tripathi. The Supreme Court has ordered protection to freelance journalist Mamta Tripathi, accused in four FIRs. Let us tell you that Mamta Tripathi had filed a petition to cancel all the four FIRs registered against her. Hearing the petition, a bench of Justice Bhushan R Gavai, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice KV Vishwanathan has banned any punitive action against Mamta Tripathi. The bench has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the petition of journalist Mamta Tripathi and sought a reply.

The petition has requested to quash the FIR. Tripathi claimed that these FIRs are politically motivated and have been registered as an attempt to suppress the freedom of the press. Hearing his petition, the bench said, 'It is directed that no punitive action be taken against the petitioner (Tripathi) in connection with the concerned article.' The case will be heard after four weeks.

#लखनऊ के गोमती नगर में एक और घटना हुई थी @myogiadityanath जी जिसमें दीप शिखा तिवारी नाम की लड़की को गंदी गंदी गालियाँ देकर मारा पीटा गया था। दोषी का नाम था प्रबल प्रताप सिंह!!

आपकी @Uppolice पकड़ नहीं पाई उसे! उसके ऊपर आपकी बुलेट ट्रेन नहीं चल पाई? दीपशिखा तिवारी भी आपके राज्य… pic.twitter.com/lHBYlrk9Bn

— Mamta Tripathi (@MamtaTripathi80) August 1, 2024

Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Mamta Tripathi, argued that a journalist named Abhishek Upadhyay had earlier approached the Supreme Court and requested quashing of the FIR against him for an alleged report on "activism of a particular caste in general administration" in the state. Citing the Supreme Court order on Upadhyay's plea, Dave said that he is a co-accused in one of these FIRs registered against Tripathi and on his plea, the apex court had in early October granted him protection from any punitive action.

In the Upadhyay case, the Supreme Court had said that criminal cases should not be registered against journalists only because their writings are seen as critical of the government. Dave said that this is sheer harassment. He said that FIRs have been registered against the journalists only for their posts on 'X'. In his petition filed through advocate Amarjit Singh Bedi, Tripathi said that four FIRs were registered in Ayodhya, Amethi, Barabanki and Lucknow respectively.

The petition said, "These FIRs are politically motivated and an attempt is being made to suppress the freedom of the press by filing FIRs against the petitioner." It said that the petitioner has tried to inform about the facts and events taking place in the state of Uttar Pradesh through his news. The petition said, "It is stated that the free press is the fourth pillar of democracy and it cannot be prevented from publishing facts, opinions and analysis, no matter how unpleasant it may be to the ruling establishment."