Supreme Court directs MHA to develop media briefing guidelines for police

The Supreme Court ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs to write a detailed guide for police officials who brief the media on criminal cases on September 13.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud noted that inaccurate reporting leads to the public believing that a person has committed a crime and that media coverage can also breach a victim's right to privacy.

The top court further ordered all state DGPs to provide recommendations to MHA within a month on the creation of a handbook for police press conferences in criminal cases.

"All DGPs, in a month, should communicate to Ministry of Home Affairs, their suggestions for guidelines…NHRC's suggestions may also be taken," the bench said.