Is this how legal journalism should be conducted? Sr Adv Sai Deepak slams Bar and Bench

Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak has slammed a legal portal, “Bar and Bench” over “sly journalism” and reporting of a case involving the tragic murder of a 24-year-old.

The senior advocate has clarified his position on the recent “pedestrian” and bad faith reportage by Bar and Bench over a hearing before the Supreme Court.

On his X and Linkedin handles, Sai Deepak wrote that he represented the brother of a 24 year old boy who was murdered by 8 people “Instead of focusing on the gravity of the case, Bar and Bench sensationalised a minor exchange between the Bench and I during the hearing over non-fatal typos in the translated FIR, for which I quickly apologized to the Bench on behalf of the counsels on record.".

Stating that minor glitches in documentation occur routinely due to human error, Sai Deepak said that Bar and Bench is aware of these realities of practice, but instead, they opted for sly journalism.

“In any case, the typos in the translated documents were not remotely critical or fatal. The young counsels on record had done a fabulous job of putting together the case and had come thoroughly prepared with the facts and the law. What Bar and Bench conveniently left out of their clever by half "reportage" was the fact that after my submissions, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Investigating Officer in the case with the direction to place on record the CCTV footage capturing the murder of the boy,” said Sai Deepak as he took to social media.

Once the order is uploaded, Deepak has said that he would share it on his page for people to compare the contents of the order with what was reported under the garb of journalism by Bar and Bench.

"If it has an axe to grind with me ideologically, it can take it up with me in cases where ideology is involved, and I am single-handedly capable of giving it back with interest. But surely they don't need to indulge in bad faith reportage in a case involving a young boy's murder just because I appear for the deceased's brother. Or is it too much to expect class, dignity and civility in ideological disagreement, and responsibility in reportage from Bar and Bench? I guess some things can't be taught. Either you have them or you don't. I have been in the profession long enough and earned my stripes to weather such behavior and the Bar & the Bench know what I bring to the Court-value & impact", the senior lawyer has added.

Sai Deepak has also resolved to bring the issue to the Court's attention and leave it to the Court to decide if this is how legal journalism must be conducted.