Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, showing for the federal government within the Supreme Court on Tuesday, made gentle of India’s fall to 161st position in press freedom ranking, saying “that depends on who is giving the rating. I can have my own forum and give India the first rating”.

The comment was in response to the Supreme Court’s statement that India has fallen to the 161st place out of 180 nations within the World Press Freedom Index printed by the non-profit organisation, Reporters Without Borders. In 2022, India was ranked at 150.

“India is 161 in ranking in journalistic freedom,” Justice Okay.M. Joseph, heading a three-judge Bench, addressed the Union and Gujarat governments, represented by Mr. Mehta, throughout a listening to within the Bilkis Bano case.

According to the World Press Freedom Index, India is ranked behind nations resembling Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia.

Hearing on July 10

The change between Justice Joseph and Mr. Mehta got here whereas the Supreme Court ordered the publication of a discover giving the small print of the case and the subsequent date of courtroom listening to, July 10, in two vernacular papers in Gujarat to alert these unserved amongst the 11 convicts who were released prematurely from their life imprisonment. They had been discovered responsible of the gangrape of Ms. Bano and the homicide of her relations. Ms. Bano and different writ petitioners have individually challenged their remission.

The dialogue was on the selection of the 2 newspapers and their circulation in Gujarat. Mr. Mehta stated there have been native papers printed every day night in each metropolis of Gujarat.

Justice Joseph stated there have been one lakh newspapers printed weekly within the nation.

Convicts search adjournments

The listening to, at one level, noticed the Supreme Court wonder if a number of the launched convicts have been making a “mockery” of and even “playing” with the courtroom by both going incognito to hamper the serving of discover of the case on them or searching for time to file counter affidavits.

Previous hearings have been a no go along with attorneys for the lads searching for adjournment on procedural grounds.

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One of the convicts was untraceable along with his cellphone switched off. His kinfolk had refused to just accept discover on his behalf, advocate Shobha Gupta, representing Ms. Bano, stated.

The courtroom determined to publish the discover within the newspapers in order that the launched convicts wouldn’t take the plea of ignorance and the case may go forward and be heard on deserves.

In the earlier listening to, Justice Joseph, who has his final working day as Supreme Court choose on May 19, stated it was “more than obvious” that the launched convicts have been resorting to those procedural or technical objections in successive courtroom hearings to keep away from his Bench.