Maha bill to protect journos from attacks approved
Q. Which state approved a draft bill to prevent attacks on reporters?- Published on 10 Apr 17a. MP
b. Maharashtra
c. Rajasthan
d. Delhi
ANSWER: Maharashtra
Maharashtra Cabinet approves draft Bill on law seeking to prevent attacks on journalists
It proposes to increase the punishment to five years of imprisonment, from the current three years.
Maharashtra Cabinet approves draft Bill on law seeking to prevent attacks on journalists
The Maharashtra Cabinet on April 6, 2017 approved a draft Bill on the law that seeks to prevent attacks on journalists.
The Journalist Protection Draft Bill was introduced in the Assembly on April 9 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The Bill proposes to amend the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure Act that is aimed at providing protection to government employees from being attacked while on duty.
The Bill seeks to increase the punishment for attacking public servants to up to five years of imprisonment from the current three years, and making it a cognisable and non-bailable offence.
There have been more than 17,682 attacks on government officials on duty in the last six years. In the last four years, four media houses and 337 journalists have been attacked.
The public servants were attacked by corrupt contractors and members of the sand mafia.
Maharashtra government on April 9, 2017 passed an act in the Assembly to prevent attacks on journalists and media houses.
The act was passed without any discussion in the Assembly.
The act has recommended up to three years imprisonment or fine up to INR 50,000 or both for the offenders. The act has also made a provision for punishing a media person for misusing the law.
The offender shall be liable to pay compensation for damage or loss caused to the property of media person or media institution as determined by the court.
He shall be liable to reimburse medical expenditure incurred by the media person, the act said.
However, if media person wilfully misuses the provisions of the act or uses the same for malicious purposes or makes a false complaint under this act; he or she shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to INR 50,000 or both.
The media person after conviction shall not be entitled to any government benefit and his or her accreditation card if any shall be permanently revoked, the act said.
