HC prohibits any action against 3 reporters who conducted sting operation

 

 

 

 

Three reporters who conducted a sting operation involving illegal liquor, gambling, drug supply, and patronage of prostitution in spa centres by four police stations in Sagar district have received significant relief from the High Court. The journalists had expressed fear that the police might frame them in false cases and arrest them.

 

A division bench headed by Justice Himanshu Joshi issued an interim order prohibiting any action against the petitioners. Published reports had against the station in-charges of Baheria, Motinagar, Makronia and Gopalganj police stations, including illegal liquor sales, gambling and betting operations using weekly extortion money, drug supply by minors, and the patronage of prostitution in spa centres. Instead of taking action, the police administration began preparing to extract journalists’ call recordings and

 

IPDRs, and frame them in false cases, the petitioners alleged in court. During the hearing, the court sought responses within four weeks from all officials concerned, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary (Home and Law), and the CBI, regarding what action has been taken so far against the police officers accused in published news story. Sagar IG Himani Khanna, Superintendent of Police Vikas Sahwal and four station in-charges have been named as individual parties in the petition. The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for January 13, 2026.