Parties: Peoples Union for Civil Liberties vs. The State of Maharashtra
Lawyers: Parekh & Co., Aaditya Aniruddha Pande
Judges: Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh, Mr. Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh
Judgment By: Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh
Diary Number: 15285/1999
The Supreme Court of India has told all states to create clear rules for talking to the media, using a new Police Guidebook for help. This decision came from a case between the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties and the State of Maharashtra, with the final judgment given by Justice M.M. Sundresh on January 15, 2026.
The case, numbered 1255/1999, was started by the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties against the State of Maharashtra. The court also looked at other similar cases. The main issue was about how police share information with the media.
The court chose Mr. Gopal Sankaranarayanan to help with the case. He worked hard to create a Police Guidebook for Media Briefing. This guidebook considers both the views of the Indian government and international practices.
"We acknowledge the hard work done by Mr. Gopal Sankaranarayanan," noted the court.
Even though states had time to look at the guidebook, many hadn't done much. So, the court decided it couldn't wait any longer. It told the states to create rules based on the guidebook within three months.
"We do not want to delay these matters any longer," the court stated.
The Supreme Court instructed its office to upload the Police Guidebook on its website within two weeks. This will make it available for everyone to see and use.
With these orders, the court finished the appeals, other cases, and even a contempt case related to this matter. Any other pending applications were also closed.
"The appeals and the other cases are closed accordingly," said Justice Sundresh.
This judgment is an important step towards making sure police media briefings are consistent and clear across India.
