News from the Committee to Protect Journalists
INDIA
: Vineet Narain contempt trial postponed
New
York, August 10, 2001-Yesterday`s scheduled contempt of court case
against journalist Vineet Narain has been postponed due to violence in Jammu
and Kashmir State, the trial venue. It is not known when the next hearing
will be held.
Narain
is the founding editor of the New Delhi-based investigative journal
Kalchakra. He faces contempt charges based on a December 16, 2000, Kalchakra
article in which Narain alleged that Jammu and Kashmir High Court justice T.S.
Doabia had been unduly influenced by his friendship with Indian Supreme Court
chief justice A.S. Anand in deciding a land dispute.
Jammu
City was placed under curfew after three Muslim militants opened fire
at a local train station on August 7, killing 11 people, according to
international press reports. The curfew went into effect on August 8 and
prevented Narain from reaching the court, the journalist told CPJ via e-mail.
Narain,
who is currently in hiding, said that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court could
not convene as planned due to "hostile conditions in Jammu."
The
curfew was lifted yesterday, August 9, according to Indian and international
press reports.
Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has not yet responded to a July 6 letter from CPJ
and Human Rights Watch urging him to order an immediate inquiry
into possible political motivations behind Narain`s prosecution, and to provide
him with adequate security protection during the trial. CPJ reiterated these
requests in a separate letter that was faxed to the prime minister on August 8.
For
more information about press freedom conditions in India, visit
www.cpj.org. CPJ is a New
York-based, independent, nonprofit organization
that works to safeguard press freedom around the world.
END
**************************
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, 12th floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212-465-1004
Fax: 212-465-9568
E-mail: asia@cpj.org
Web-site: www.cpj.org