PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA vs PRESS CLUB, MUMBAI & ORS.

Judgment text excerpt

$~ * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Judgment reserved on: 10.11.2025 % Judgment delivered on: 16.01.2026 + LPA 1242/2024, CM APPL. 75626/2024, CM APPL. 75629/2024 & CM APPL. 64851/2025 PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA .....Appellant Through: Mr. Vikramjit Banerjee, ASG with Mr. T. Singhdev, Mr. Bhanu Gulati, Ms. Yamini Singh, Mr. Abhijit Chakravarty, Ms. Anum Hussain, Ms. R. Kaur, Ms. Akansha, Mr. S. Kumar, Mr. T. Srivastava, Mr. P. Rawat, Mr. Vedant Sood, Advs. for PCI versus PRESS CLUB, MUMBAI & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Akhil Sibal, Sr. Adv with Mr. Salim A.Inamdar, Ms. Janvi Sindhu and Mr. Krishnesh Bapat, Advs for R- 1. Mr. Rohan Jaitly, CGSC with Mr. Dev Pratap Shahi and Mr. Varun Pratap Singh, Advs. for UOI. CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA JUDGMENT DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA, C.J. CHALLENGE 1. This intra-Court appeal takes exception to the judgment and order dated 22.11.2024 passed by the learned Single Judge whereby W.P.(C.) No. LPA 1242/2024 Page 1 of 29 Signature Not Verified Digiltally Signed By:SREERAM L Signing Date:16.01.2026 17:08:10 16202/2024 filed by the respondent No.1 – petitioner (the Press Club, Mumbai) has been allowed and the recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee dated 10.09.2024 so far as it relates to respondent No.1 whereby it was not included in the list of notified “associations of persons” for the purposes of re-constitution of the 15th Press Council of India (the appellant), has been quashed. FACTS 2. Press Council of India is a statutory body incorporated under Section 4 of the Press Council Act, 1978 (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) and is a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal. 3. Section 5 of the Act provides for composition of the Council which consists of a