Lok Sabha Question No. 46 (STARRED), answered on 2017-12-19
Subject: Attacks/Killing of Journalists/Media Persons
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *46

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 th  DECEMBER, 2017 /AGRAHAYANA 28, 1939 (SAKA)

ATTACKS/KILLING OF JOURNALISTS/MEDIA PERSONS

*46. SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  incidents  of  attacks/killing  of  journalists/media  persons  have increased in the past few months in the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  number  of  such  attacks  on journalists/ media persons and the number of journalists/media persons injured/killed  separately,  the  number  of  inquiries  conducted,  persons  arrested and the action taken against them during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  received  demands  for  status  report  on  such attacks  in  various  States  during  the  said  period,  if  so,  the  details  and  the outcome thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  existing  laws  for  safety/  security  of  journalists/media  persons are  adequate  keeping  in  view  the  rise  in  incidents  of  attack/killing  of  such persons,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reaction  of  the  Government thereto; and

(e) whether the Government has communicated/issued any guidelines/ directions to various States to provide adequate safety and security to journalists/ media persons  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the Government on the issue?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement  referred  in  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  *46  for  reply  on  19 th December 2017 regarding Attacks/Killing of Journalists/Media Persons

(a) to (b):   As per the data compiled  by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the  State/UT  wise  cases  registered    and  persons  arrested      under  attack  on media persons (under section 325, 326, 326A & 326B IPC) during 2014-2016 are given  in  the    Annexure.  No  separate  data  is  available  on  journalists  killed  in such attacks.

(c)  to  (e):  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  seventh Schedule  of  the  Constitution  of  India.  The  existing  laws  are  adequate  for protection of citizens including journalists. Also the Press Council of India takes appropriate  action  on  receipt  of  specific  complaints  from  affected  journalists. Representations  on  providing  security  are  received  from  or  on  behalf  of individuals,  including  journalists.  All  such  representations  are  examined  and based on inputs received regarding threat assessment, required action is taken. Central  Government  attaches  highest  importance  to  prevention  of  crime.  An advisory on safety of journalists has been issued to States/UTs on 20 th  October 2017, which is available at the Ministry of Home  Affairs' website viz www.mha.nic.in.

*****

Annexure State/UT wise cases registered (CR) and persons arrested (PAR)  for attacks on  media persons

(under section 325, 326, 326A & 326B IPC) during 2014-2016

| Sl.No.                                 | State/UT                               | 2014                                   | 2014                                   | 2015                                   | 2015                                   | 2016                                   | 2016                                   |
|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.                                 | State/UT                               | CR                                     | PAR                                    | PAR                                    |                                        | CR                                     | PAR                                    |
| 1                                      | Andhra Pradesh                         | 4                                      | 1                                      | 1                                      | 0                                      | 6                                      | 9                                      |
| 2                                      | Arunachal Pradesh                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 3                                      | Assam                                  | 2                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 2                                      | 4                                      |
| 4                                      | Bihar                                  | 22                                     | 3                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 5                                      | Chhattisgarh                           | 0                                      | 0                                      | 1                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 6                                      | Goa                                    | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 7                                      | Gujarat                                | 3                                      | 4                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 1                                      | 4                                      |
| 8                                      | Haryana                                | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 9                                      | Himachal Pradesh                       | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 10                                     | Jammu & Kashmir                        | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 11                                     | Jharkhand                              | 3                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 12                                     | Karnataka                              | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 2                                      | 0                                      |
| 13                                     | Kerala                                 | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 1                                      | 1                                      |
| 14                                     | Madhya Pradesh                         | 7                                      | 10                                     | 19                                     | 32                                     | 24                                     | 14                                     |
| 15                                     | Maharashtra                            | 5                                      | 6                                      | 1                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 16                                     | Manipur                                | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 9                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 17                                     | Meghalaya                              | 1                                      | 2                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 18                                     | Mizoram                                | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 19                                     | Nagaland                               | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 20                                     | Odisha                                 | 1                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 21                                     | Punjab                                 | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 22                                     | Rajasthan                              | 0                                      | 0                                      | 5                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 23                                     | Sikkim                                 | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 24                                     | Tamil Nadu                             | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 25                                     | Telangana                              | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 26                                     | Tripura                                | 2                                      | 2                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 5                                      | 4                                      |
| 27                                     | Uttar Pradesh                          | 63                                     | 4                                      | 1                                      | 0                                      | 3                                      | 3                                      |
| 28                                     | Uttarakhand                            | 1                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 3                                      | 2                                      |
| 29                                     | West Bengal                            | NR                                     | NR                                     | NR                                     | NR                                     | NR                                     | NR                                     |
|                                        | Total (State)                          | 114                                    | 32                                     | 28                                     | 41                                     | 47                                     | 41                                     |
| 30                                     | A & N Islands                          | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 31                                     | Chandigarh                             | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 32                                     | D & N Haveli                           | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 33                                     | Daman & Diu                            | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0 NR                                   |                                        | NR                                     |
| 34                                     | Delhi                                  | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 35                                     | Lakshadweep                            | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
| 36                                     | Puducherry                             | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
|                                        | Total (UTs)                            | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      | 0                                      |
|                                        | Total (All India)                      | 114                                    | 32                                     | 28                                     | 41                                     | 47                                     | 41                                     |
| Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau | Source : National Crime Records Bureau |