On Friday, the Apex Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) calling for an investigation into media organisations & their affiliates for broadcasting exit polls immediately after the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising CJI DY Chandrachud & Justice JB Pardiwala & Justice Manoj Misra, described the PIL as a "political interest litigation."

The bench remarked, "The government is already elected. Let's put an end to discussions about election-related issues & focus on governance. The Election Commission will manage these matters; we will not oversee the Election Commission. This is a clear case of political interest litigation. Dismissed".

 The petition had sought an investigation into media outlets & their affiliates for broadcasting exit polls immediately following the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections & allegedly influencing investors, who reportedly suffered a loss of Rs 31 trillion as the stock market plummeted after the results were announced on June 4.

Allegations in the petition

Filed in June, the petition claimed that media houses began discussing exit polls as soon as the final phase of the election concluded on June 1. They purportedly encouraged investors to buy stocks until the market reopened on June 3 (Monday), leading to an unforeseen surge in the stock market. The petition alleged that while the market rose following the exit polls, it subsequently crashed when the actual results were declared.

Advocate BL Jain, who filed the petition, stated that the stock market crash on June 4 resulted in a significant loss of Rs 31 trillion to investors. Filed through advocate Varun Thakur, the petition argued that this loss would impact the overall Indian economy & India's global reputation.

"The broadcast of any news, debate, or programme should not suggest bias or prejudice in favour of or against any political party. Unfortunately, the uncontrolled & unregulated electronic media has become a commercial enterprise & is manipulated by one political party against another," the petition contended.

The petitioner argued that prediction & exit polls constitute a violation of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, & the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India on April 2, 2024. The petition stressed that the government must ensure the integrity of exit polls & public debates.

Plea sought CBI probe

The petition sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI), & Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into various media organisations, including Axis My India, India Today Media Plex, Times Now, Independent News Service Private Ltd. (India TV), ABP News Pvt Ltd., Republic Media Network, News National Network Pvt Ltd., TV9 Bharatvarsh, & NDTV.

"The Parliament of India enacted the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to ensure free & fair elections & regulate the election process. However, through exit polls, media houses in collusion with corporate entities have been manipulating election results. This conduct violates the principle of free & fair elections in a democracy & interferes with the rule of law," the petition stated.

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