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I. Background of the Supreme Court Directions The Supreme Court of India has directed all States and Union Territories to frame and notify comprehensive media briefing policies for criminal cases within three months . The objective of the direction is to prevent media trials , protect the fairness of investigations , and safeguard the dignity and privacy of victims, witnesses, and accused persons . The direction was issued by a Bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh , while dealing with a long-pending public interest litigation filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in 1999 . The PIL highlighted the absence of structured guidelines governing police encounters and police communication with the media , especially during ongoing criminal investigations. Despite earlier judicial interventions and executive advisories, the Court noted that States had failed to demonstrate adequate seriousness in regulating police briefings, resulting in repeated...

Background of the Case A division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the September 23, 2025 order passed by Justice Jagmohan Bansal concerning disciplinary action against police personnel sentenced to rigorous imprisonment exceeding one month. The division bench, comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor, stayed the single judge’s ruling on November 13, 2025, during the hearing of an appeal filed by the state government. The stay has been confirmed by Haryana Additional Advocate General, Sanjeev Kaushik. The matter will next be taken up on January 28, 2026. Challenge to Interpretation of Rule 16.2(2) and Rule 16.28 of the Punjab Police Rules The Single Judge’s Findings Justice Jagmohan Bansal had held that: The government cannot impose any punishment other than dismissal where an enrolled police officer is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment exceeding one month, as per Rule 16.2(2) of the Punjab Police Rules (PPR), 1934 (applicable in...