AMN
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today upheld a single bench order that dismissed a petition against the ban imposed on Media One TV channel by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recently.
The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly dismissed the appeals filed by the channel owners, channel employees, and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists against the single bench order.
The I&B Ministry had refused to renew the broadcast license granted to Media One after the Ministry of Home Affairs rejected security clearance for its renewal.
The Division Bench observed that upon perusing the confidential files submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it was convinced that there was a threat to national security.
The Single Bench also had said in its order that it found intelligence reports that justified the denial of security clearance for the channel.