On Friday, the Supreme Court stayed 4 months sentence awarded to four journalists of ‘Mid-Day’ by Delhi High Court. Earlier on September 21, the Delhi High Court had sentenced 4-month imprisonment to 4 journalists for their alleged contemptuous reports against the former Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal.

The Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam also admitted the appeal that was filed by the journalists against the Delhi High Court’s conviction order.

At the same time, the SC Bench refused to admit the intervention application that was filed by 27 prominent citizens urging the court to grant an opportunity to present their stand in this matter. While, rejecting the intervention application, the apex court bench said that the applicants had no locus standi because the court has to decide whether the journalists had committed contempt or court or not.

Further, the SC bench said that it would appoint senior counsel and former Additional Solicitor General A R Andhiarjuna to work as amicus curiae in the matter.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had slapped 4 months’ imprisonment on four journalists from Mid-Day Delhi for contempt of court for writing and publishing news reports against the former chief justice of India, YK Sabharwal. The Delhi HC also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each. Later, the Supreme Court granted bail to all the four journalists.

The Mid-Day eveninger in Delhi had published reports claiming that Sabharwal had issued orders for the sealing of lakhs of commercial establishments in New Delhi in 2006. At the same time, Sabharwal’s sons got into partnerships with shopping malls and Builders of commercial establishments in Delhi.

The High Court convicted four journalists, Mid-day City Editor M K Tayal, the then Publisher S K Akhtar, Resident Editor Vitusha Oberoi and cartoonist Irfan Khan for publishing the reports. The four journalists have planned to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the HC judgment.

After the HC judgment, another debate has been raised in the country that ‘Who would decide the accountability of Judiciary. Some lawyers, media professionals and intellectuals had raised objection against the Delhi HC decision against the Mid-day journalists.

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