WORKING NEWS CAMERAMENS ASSOCIATION vs PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA & ANR.

Judgment text excerpt

$~ * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Judgment reserved on: 10.11.2025 % Judgment delivered on: 16.01.2026 + W.P.(C) 17385/2024, CM APPL. 74029/2024 & CM APPL. 65260/2025 WORKING NEWS CAMERAMEN’S ASSOCIATION .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Aseem Mehrotra and Ms. Deeksha Mehrotra, Advs. versus PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA & ANR. .....Respondents 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 Ms. Shiva Lakshmi, CGSC with Mr. Amit Acharya, GP and Mr. Madhav Bajaj, Adv. for UOI CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA JUDGMENT DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA, C.J. CHALLENGE 1. The instant writ petition filed by an Association of Working News Cameramen challenges the notice dated 09.06.2024 issued by the Press W.P.(C) 17385/2024 Page 1 of 23 Signature Not Verified Digiltally Signed By:SREERAM L Signing Date:16.01.2026 17:08:10 Council of India (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) inviting claims for being notified as an eligible “association of persons” for nomination of Members of the 15th term of the Council under Rule 3 of the Press Council (Procedure for Notification of associations of persons) Rules, 2021 (hereinafter referred to as the “Rules, 2021”). The petitioner also challenges the report dated 10.09.2024 submitted by the Scrutiny Committee whereby a recommendation has been made to reject the claim of the petitioner/ association as an eligible “association of persons” under the category of members to be nominated to the Council in terms of Section 5(3)(a) of the Press Council of India Act, 1978 (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”). 2. The petiti