UK daily reporter ordered out of Dec 16 gangrape trial court

As the proceedings began this afternoon,Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan pointed to Buncombe’s presence in the court room and asked him to show his identity card to him and the judge. After he had a look at the ID card,Krishnan told the court that only journalists from “accredited national dailies” were allowed to report the trial.

Buncombe told the court that he was an accredited journalist and should be allowed to sit in the court. “I came to court today to cover the case as I have been following the gangrape incident since December 16. I am just doing my job. I have been living in India for six years. It is your court and you can decide whether to allow me to sit in the court,” he said.

He asked if it was his “nationality or race” that had prompted the court to ask him to leave the court. “Is it my nationality or race or my white skin that has prompted such an action from the court? Other journalists working for foreign media are being allowed to attend the proceedings. Why can’t I be allowed to cover the trial,” Buncombe asked.

Maintaining that his action had nothing to do with the “nationality or colour” of the journalist,Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna noted that Buncombe worked for an “accredited British daily” and,therefore,could not be allowed to attend the proceedings.

Quoting from a High Court order passed last month,Khanna said only journalists working for agencies “PTI (Press Trust of India),UNI (United News of India)” and “accredited national dailies” were allowed to attend the proceedings. “Electronic and foreign media are not allowed to attend the proceedings. In case they want details of the proceedings,they may take it from PTI and UNI,which will share the reports with them,” he said.

“Hence,if I allow you to attend these proceedings,it will be a violation of the High Court’s order,” Khanna told Buncombe. He asked him to seek a clarification from the High Court if he so wished.