Lessons for media in Sohrabuddin's fake encounter & cops' arrest

Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were killed in a fake encounter by Gujarat ATS and Rajasthan STF jointly. His family fought up to the Supreme court and three officers of Indian Police Service (IPS) have been arrested.

But it is time the media realise its mistake. When Sohrabuddin, a native of Ujjain, was killed, the same journalists and channels never termed him as a suspect but straight away branded him as terrorist. The police told the story and without asking questions, media bought it.

Now the same media terms him innocent and the officials who were then heroes for killing an anti-national and 'dreaded militant' are now baying for the blood of Gujarat police officials. Shouldn't media learn to be responsible. Firstly, unless convicted a person is just a suspect or an accused.

He should not be termed as criminal right a way. In press conferences, the journalists must not buy any police story but they should ask questions and seek at least some proof that he was involved in such and such activity but the hunger for readymade byte has led to this pathetic state. Now Sohrabuddin seems to have become innocent all of a sudden. Whither credibility?

Besides, when the entire fake encounter story was proved false, it was no larger-than-life journo of these media channels but a rickshaw driver-turn-journalist Prashant Dayal, who broke this story that led the arrest of IPS officers that thas shaken the entire administrative brass in this country.

(Click on his name to read the story about him on rediff).

The heat is now on BJP government in Gujrat. Apart from police officials G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, an SP and Rajasthan's officer Dinesh Kumar. Even the Home Minister Amit Shah is under a tight spot.