'Essential to unearth truth'; HC about sting operations

KOCHI: The High Court asked police to consider twice before charging cases against media workers for conducting sting operations in their mission to unearth the truth.

“Besides finding the truth, the media should not harm anyone’s personal space through sting operations’ clarified Justice P V Kunjikrishnan.

The order dismissed the case filed by the police against the private channel in 2013 for the hidden camera operation conducted in the Pathanamthitta jail in connection with the solar case.

The court said that if freedom of media is denied, democracy will disappear. Media that provide real facts enable citizens to participate in the democratic process.

“Media sometimes go for options not fully supported by law. Hidden camera is one of them. The legal feasibility of this has been examined by the Supreme Court several times. If the sting operation has some ulterior motives, expect no legal support. The court will decide the matter after examining the facts of the case.” Said HC.