Aroon Purie, Prabhu Chawla Summons Quashed by Allahabad High Court in Controversial Child Labour Story Case
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Lucknow, October 30 — In a significant ruling upholding press freedom and the role of investigative journalism, the Allahabad High Court has quashed the summons issued to India Today Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie and former Editor Prabhu Chawla by a Lucknow trial court in connection with a 2017 article on child labour and child prostitution.
The case stemmed from a hard-hitting investigative report published in India Today magazine titled “Girls for Sale” and “Ladkiyon Ki Mandi”, which exposed the harrowing realities of child exploitation in economically backward regions of India. The article detailed how young girls were being duped into marriage and subjected to sexual exploitation under the guise of social customs and poverty.
“Learned counsel for the applicants has submitted that a bare perusal of Sections 153 and 153-A IPC would indicate that no such offence is made out against the applicants. On a bare perusal of the complaint as well as the statements recorded under Sections 200 and 202 Cr.P.C. there is no sign of visible representation of either spoken or written words which promotes or attempts to create dis-harmony or feelings of enmity or hatred between the two groups or communities. Sections 153 and 153 A”
A private complaint had alleged that the article incited communal disharmony and promoted enmity between groups, invoking Sections 153 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code. Acting on the complaint, a Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI) in Lucknow had taken cognizance of the matter and issued summons to both Purie and Chawla in 2017.
“The basis and source of information is mentioned wherein it is evident that Murshidabad District of West Bengal has become a hub of human trafficking where the minor girls are sold for sexual gratification. Even if it is mentioned that there is unrest in Bediya community, it does not mean that it is a case of disharmony between the two groups or community. It is nowhere mentioned that Bediya community has unrest against muslim community. The intention has to be judged by the language of the article published in ‘Indian Today’ Magazine.”
However, the editors challenged the summons in the Allahabad High Court, arguing that the article was published in public interest to shed light on a grave social issue, and that it was based on credible sources, all of which were cited in the report.
Justice Brij Raj Singh, delivering the verdict, observed that the article in question did not incite any unrest or disharmony in society. “There appears to be no intention on the part of the applicants to promote hatred between communities,” the court noted. It further emphasized that the report was a journalistic effort to highlight the plight of minor girls and did not amount to any criminal offence under the cited sections.
The court concluded that the allegations lacked merit and that the proceedings against the journalists were unwarranted. “The applicants have not committed any offence as alleged. The source of the information was clearly mentioned in the story,” the judgment stated.
Accordingly, the High Court set aside the summons and quashed the entire proceedings pending before the Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI) in Lucknow.
Advocate Nadeem Murtaza, representing Aroon Purie and Prabhu Chawla, welcomed the decision, stating that it reaffirmed the importance of responsible journalism in a democratic society.
The ruling is being seen as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to protecting journalistic freedom, especially in cases where media reports aim to bring critical social issues to the forefront.
