By RINA,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court yesterday issued notice to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directing it to resubmit the status report in the Batla House encounter case.
The Court has asked the Commission as to how a reporter of a news magazine interviewed the accused. It has also asked the NHRC whether the police had submitted any report to the Commission and whether any investigation is on after the submission of report. The Court had directed the NHRC to submit a detailed report in this regard. The next hearing is scheduled for 14 March.
A bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice Sanjeev Khanna has taken strong exception to the interview and asked the Editorial Board of the news magazine as to why is it hesitating from giving a clear cut reply in this regard. The Court is not passing any direction but only wants to know as to how the reporter was able to reach the bomb blast accused. In the last hearing the Court had shown its utter dismay over the commercialization of news and came down heavily on the media directing it to exercise restrain while reporting the sensitive issues. This direction of Delhi High Court has come after a writ petition filed by a private NGO demanding action against the police officers for leaking to the media confessions of the accused.