RELIEF
   Date :13-Nov-2020

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AFTER a lengthy cartwheeling of legal procedure at various levels the Supreme Court has, thankfully, restored sanity to the entire episode of political witch hunting played out in Maharashtra by granting bail to Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV and high-profile journalist Mr. Arnab Goswami in an old abetment to suicide case. It was the good fortune of Mr. Goswami that the apex court rightfully stepped in and granted him relief in an episode that is totally steeped in malicious actions by the Maharashtra Government against a journalist who dared to question its actions in various issues of national importance. The arrest in a suicide case that was closed by the State police months ago was totally a reprehensible act played out at the behest of some grumpy politicians who were naturally frightened by the media campaign by Mr. Goswami. By granting him bail after the arrest, that the sessions court itself had termed “prima facie illegal”, the Supreme Court has also held mirror to the lower courts for their poor handling of a simple matter. Making compromises on matters of personal liberty would certainly have been a travesty of justice.
 
UNDER WATCH
 
BY BRINGING Over The Top (OTT) platforms and content providers such as Netflix, Disney Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video under the ambit of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting the Centre has rocked the digital boat for all the right reasons. So far, there are no laws in India to regulate the OTT platforms which enjoyed an unabashed freedom in producing and showing content of their own choice. Mostly, the web series and movies had explicit content that is usually censored in other mediums like television and radio. There has been a big hue and cry on the material shown on the OTT platform for its nudity and foul language. Now that the entire content will be under the regulation of the I&B Ministry, the OTT platforms will have to seek prior approval and certification for their shows. This will be the first challenge before the medium to keep a check on its content. Censorship and regulation of the shows was necessary in wake of the dangers those can cause to the society, may it be physical or moral. The Government has done well to keep a tab on the OTT platforms for the benefit of the larger Indian society.