The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday stayed the state Legislative Assembly’s resolution convicting two journalists for breach of privilege, The New Indian Express reported. The Karnataka government had passed orders to arrest the journalists, after the Assembly rejected the plea to reconsider their one-year jail sentence.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad had on June 21 imposed the sentence and a fine on Ravi Belagere and Anil Raj, editors of two local tabloids that had allegedly published defamatory articles on two MLAs. On Wednesday, Karnataka High Court judge AS Bopanna stayed the resolution based on a plea by the editors.
Koliwad had announced the punishment for the two editors after an inquiry committee, headed by Yelahanka MLA SR Vishwanath, recommended punitive action against the two journalists.
Raj of Yalahanka Voice had published an article on BJP MLA Vishwanath, while Belagere of Kannada weekly Hi Bangalore had published an article on Shiraguppa Congress MLA Nagaraj. In a follow-up article, the Yelahanka Voice had claimed Vishwanath had a mental health problem.
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