The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Punjab government to allow the Punjab Kesari Group to resume operations at its printing press in Ludhiana, Live Law reported.
The court also said the state should not take any coercive steps against the publication of the Punjab Kesari newspaper until the Punjab and Haryana High Court decides on a petition filed by the media group, the legal news outlet reported.
The printing press had been shut down on January 15 on the orders of the Punjab Pollution Control Board over an alleged water pollution related violation, advocate Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court while appearing for the newspaper.
The Punjab Kesari Group has alleged that the action against it was triggered by its news reports on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s chief Arvind Kejriwal, Bar and Bench reported.
The media group publishes some of the highest-circulating Hindi and Punjabi dailies in the state, including Punjab Kesari, Jag Bani and Hind Samachar.
On Tuesday, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and VM Pancholi directed the restoration of operations at the printing press after a petition filed by Jagat Vijay Printers and Hind Samachar Limited was mentioned for urgent hearing, Bar and Bench reported.
The Hind Samachar Limited is the parent company of the Punjab Kesari Group. Jagat Vijay Printers is a key printing entity within the Punjab Kesari Group.
Rohatgi told...
