Front Page
The Supreme Court’s hearing on the sexual harassment case filed against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi is the lead everywhere, this morning.
However, first the anatomy of reporting a murder — or, how Rohit Shekhar’s wife allegedly killed him. This makes the front page of The Times of India, Hindustan Times and The Hindu and page 3 of The Indian Express.
The headlines are tellingly different: Hindu is factual and straightforward — “Rohit Tiwari’s wife charged with murder, arrested”.
The others quote the police: TOI’s is “N.D. Tiwari’s son choked to death by wife: Delhi Police”. HT says “Rohit Shekhar’s wife smothered him while he was drunk: Police”, while Express writes, “…police says she strangled him with her bare hands” — as if there is any other way to strangle someone.
The newspapers provide lurid and varying details of the actual crime: They agree that Rohit was drunk and his wife allegedly murdered him. Then, the accounts differ: Hindu quoting “sources privy to the probe” says that at 12.45 am, wife Apoorva entered Rohit’s room, and he told her, in a drunken state, that he and his sister-in law were “drinking from the same glass”. “…In a fit of rage, she strangled him…he was too drunk to resist.”
TOI attributes its reconstruction to the police: After a “brief spat”, Apoorva went to his room (12.45 am), “sat on top her sleeping husband and began strangling him…Rohit… struggled to save himself … his nose hit Apoorva’s head”, leading to a nose bleed detected after his death. She held him down, “Rohit stopped resisting but kept groaning… Apoorva then pressed a pillow against his face”.
HT says according to police, Apoorva murdered him by “smothering him with a pillow and throttled him…” — which happened first?
Express says she allegedly “strangled and smothered him with her bare hands…” — but there’s no mention of a pillow.
The newspapers cannot agree on the contents of a video call between husband and wife prior to the crime: Hindu says it ended “normally”, HT says Apoorva realised there was “a woman in his car…”
Hindu provides more “details” in a second report “Rohit Tiwari’s wife ensured someone else finds body” with graphic account of events after the murder. All the newspapers report on a deeply unhappy marriage from “people close to the family” (TOI).
Supreme Court
TOI’s report on the sexual harassment allegation leans towards the Supreme Court’s “suspicions”. In “SC seeks help of CBI, IB, cops to probe role of ‘fixers’ in judiciary”, TOI matter-of-factly states that two former apex court employees, previously caught for doctoring a judgment in the Anil Ambani contempt case, “acted in league with the dismissed woman employee who has accused CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment”. It only mentions later on that this claim was one of the allegations made by lawyer Utsav Bains, who is responsible for alleging a conspiracy in the first place.
Hindu is more sceptical in “SC firm on unearthing ‘larger plot against CJI’”. Its first paragraph says the SC “resolved to ‘enquire, enquire and enquire” till it gets to the root of whether sexual harassment allegations against Gogoi is part of a larger conspiracy hatched by a gang of “disgruntled employees and fixers”.
Express gives equal weightage to the SC angle and the complainant’s in “My character smeared before probe: Complainant in SC panel”.
“The staffer, in a letter to the committee, said that the inquiry should be conducted along the lines of the Vishakha guidelines laid down by the SC,” it reports. She also wrote to the committee comprising Justices S.A. Bobde, N.V. Ramana, and Indira Banerjee saying Arun Jaitley’s “condemnation” of her has led her to feel “isolated” and “depressed”.
Sadhvi Pragya and NIA
Pragya Thakur makes it to Thursday’s front pages for a special court’s scepticism over the National Investigative Agency’s claim that “it had not found sufficient evidence to prosecute” her in the Malegaon blasts case (TOI).
“In its order, the court said elections do not fall under its purview,” writes the Express, referring to a plea by the father of a victim of the blasts who said Pragya should not contest given her alleged criminal activities. TOI adds that the court said, “the matter could only be decided by the Election Commission”.
The Hindu carries an interview with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who says his government is “ready to probe the alleged inhuman treatment meted out to Pragya Singh Thakur by the officials of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)”.
Sri Lanka remains on front pages, but it gets second or lower billing in all newspapers today.
Opinion
The Times chooses to comment on Opposition complaints on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). In “Vilifying the EVM”, TOI says although failures of EVMs is “negligible” — 0.57 per cent for ballot units and 2.24 per cent for VVPATs — in absolute numbers 36 to 42 lakh people “can be potentially affected by delays owing to snags”. EC must replace machines within 30 minutes so voters don’t “turn away”. TOI advises EC to work with EVM manufacturers and work with “paranoid politicians to assuage their fears”.
Hindu and Express laud the Supreme Court’s Rs-50 lakh compensation award to Gujarat riot rape victim Bilkis Bano. Hindu in “Just Recompense” terms it an endeavour to “achieve restitutive justice”. It adds that Bilkis’s case is a “rare one” in the gravity of offences and that life sentences were awarded to 11 perpetrators. In less clear cut cases, “victim compensation” may be the “only way to ensure some justice”.
Prime Time
Wednesday belonged to “Khiladi” Akshay Kumar and his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi telecast by all news channels and then hotly debated in the evening.
Channels like ABP News and CNN News 18 looked forward to the PM’s Varanasi roadshow Thursday to file in nomination papers.
Times Now: Anchor Navika Kumar led the discussion on the Akshay interview.
Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Ashutosh said, “I am sure there’s a political motive behind this interview.”
ANI editor Smita Prakash denied the allegation that the interview was an advertorial: “If it was one then it would not have been broadcast.”
When asked about Kumar’s informal attire, Prakash had a simple retort, “How does it matter?”
WATCH: The best of PM @narendramodi interview with Actor @akshaykumar on @thenewshour | #ModiInterviewDebate (1/2) pic.twitter.com/N8dSdmKO8v
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 24, 2019
Tiranga: On Barkha Dutt’s show, marketing professional Dilip Cherian wondered how the interview could be called an “interview”?
Journalist Seema Goswami objected: the PM is at liberty to choose a person he is “comfortable with” for an interview — he has every right to “mythmaking”.
To which journalist Shivam Vij said that nowadays everyone is a Simi Garewal (the actor had a popular TV talk show). “When will we get a hard interview?” he asked.
Academic and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporter Geet Bhatt argued that “a section of the media” was “hostile” to the PM and in the past, Modi was boycotted by it.
Barkha Dutt disagreed: “Not boycotted, criticised”.
India Today: Anchor Rajdeep Sardesai termed the sexual harassment case against CJI Gogoi “the biggest test of credibility” for the Supreme Court.
All three participants on the show, lawyers Dushyant Dave, Mihira Sood and Gopal Sankaranarayanan agreed that it had been mishandled. Dave said the judges were “treading a wrong path” and the committee examining the case was a mere “eyewash”. The committee ought to be led by a woman and consist predominantly of women. He advised the CJI to “abstain from work… step down” till the case was decided.
Sood declared it would be a “dangerous precedent” if the CJI did not step aside. Sankaranarayanan said the constitution of the committee did not fulfil the requirements of the Vishakha guidelines on sexual harassment at the workplace — it was not “properly” constituted.
Republic Bharat: In his interview with BJP president Amit Shah, anchor Arnab Goswami asked him if there was an undercurrent against BJP in the country?
Shah replied, “I have toured the entire country in the last five-six months ….there is only one gigantic wave — Modi wave…”
What of the suggestion that Amit Shah’s magic is not going to work anymore in Uttar Pradesh?
“…the position of BJP is not going to weaken… People can see through the fake Mahagathbandhan…”
Goswami countered with figures: “The vote percentage for Mahagathbandhan is at least 10 per cent more on at least 10 seats in BJP. How is BJP going to win it?”
Shah replied distantly, “After looking at the name of the candidates standing for BJP in these seats you will not ask me this question.”
Tweet of the day
The way the civilised world had united against Hitler time has come to get united the same way against IS. This not just terrorism it is a war .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) April 23, 2019