The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Four journalists’ bodies have released a statement under the Press Club of India condemning action against senior journalist Mahesh Langa by Gujarat Police. The Editors Guild of India has also released a similar statement.
The Delhi Union of Journalists, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Press Association and Kerala Union of Working Journalists have together with the Press Club of India, called the second FIR (first information report) against Langa, “hounding” by the police. Langa, as the statement notes, was already in judicial custody when this FIR was registered on allegations that he possessed official documents.
The journalists’ bodies have called the FIR on the basis of document possession shocking:
“The second FIR was registered against him on October 22 following a complaint by the Gujarat Maritime Board for allegedly being in possession of certain documents. It is shocking that the mere possession of documents can be used by the state to register a FIR against a citizen and in this case, a journalist of considerable standing.”
The statement has also highlighted that a journalist would, by the very nature of his work, need to peruse sensitive documents.
“It is axiomatic that journalists will, due to the nature of their profession and in the pursuance of public interest, be in possession of all kinds of material, including documents, accessed from various sources. To implicate and incriminate mediapersons for the mere possession of documents is tantamount to a fundamental assault on the profession itself.”
Langa was arrested earlier this month by the Ahmedabad crime branch on an alleged case of GST fraud, even though, as the statement notes, he was not mentioned by name in the primary FIR.
The organisations have appealed and demanded that the FIR be withdrawn and the harassment caused to Langa ended.
“We also call upon the Press Council of India to step in and perform its mandate of safeguarding the freedom of the press,” it said. Unlike the Press Club which is an association of journalists, the Press Council was formed by the parliament to act for and on behalf of the press.
The statement is signed by Gautam Lahiri, president of the Press Club of India, along with the four aforementioned bodies.
EGI statement
In a statement, the Editors Guild of India has noted with concern the registration of the second FIR against Langa, higlighting similar points.
“Journalists are often required to access and review sensitive documents in the course of their work, and initiating punitive action against them for doing their work is worrisome,” it has said.
The EGI expressed hope “that Mr. Langa will not be deprived of fair and speedy justice. It is important that the Gujarat police disclose details about the second set of accusations leveled against him over possessing the confidential documents.”
It also highlighted that it was a matter of grave concern that the second FIR is not accessible to the public online, especially since the police have reportedly put it under the “sensitive category”.
“The Editors Guild stands for the freedom of the press and reiterates the need to create a conducive environment across the country that allows all journalists to pursue their professional duties responsibly,” it has noted.
Note: This report was updated with details on the EGI’s statement after publication.