IT’s a historic day for our fraternity and the Mumbai Press Club as our struggle for a law to protect working journalists has been passed by the Maharashtra Government. The state legislature on Friday tabled and approved a bill to this effect.
As you know, the Mumbai Press Club has been at the forefront of condemning attacks on and killing of journalists. Many other organizations across the state and country supported our cause.
The Club has been in touch with the Maharashtra government and put immense pressure on successive heads of government and home ministers to have a potent law in place.
The Mumbai Press Club’s consistency in following up the matter, its continued agitation, correspondence and interaction with authorities in the government and collaboration with all stakeholders has now bore fruit.
The Club appreciates Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads home department, for expediting the process of law making. We thank Fadnavis for providing us with a legal deterrent which will be effective in ensuring safe working conditions for working journalists.
Henceforth, we will expect the law enforcement agencies to apply the law whenever needed to bring the accused to book and punish them in a court of law.
— Provisions in the new law:
· The law recommends a punishment upto 3 years or fine upto Rs 50,000 or both punishments in case of attack on a media person on duty
· Act of violence against media person will be cognizable, non- bailable and triable by a first class magistrate
· The cases under this law will be investigated by an officer not below the rank of DySP/ACP
· If a false complaint is filed by media person, the complainant may also be tried and given the same punishment (3 years in jail or Rs 50,000 fine or both).
…..Mumbai Press Club