Mangalore attacks – High Court issues notice to state government

Mangalore attacks – High Court issues notice to state government

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 18, 2012 : The High Court of Karnataka has issued a notice to the state government and the union information and broadcasting department regarding the attacks on young people and members of minority communities in Mangalore from 2006 to 2010, including the recent home stay attack.

Justice B. V. Nagarathna and Justice V. J. Sen issued this notice after hearing a plea from a group of 23 citizens, under the leadership of Louis G. Pinto, blaming the media for broadcasting uncensored video clippings of the attacks.

The high court has issued notices to several government bodies such as the Mangalore Police Commissionerate, the Government of Karnataka, Union Information and Broadcasting Department, Women’s Commission, and the State Human Rights Commission. It has also ordered an investigation against these bodies.

The applicants had blamed the media for broadcasting uncensored video clippings of an incident of 2006, the pub attacks of 2009, and the home stay attack of 2012. They have accused the media of broadcasting uncensored video footage only to attract readers, adding that the media failed to inform the police in spite of knowing about the attacks well in advance.

They have requested the high court to create a regulatory framework for the media.