Don't be party to curtailing press freedom: Shanti Bhushan

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) Do not be a party in curtailing the freedom of the press, a lawyer told the Supreme Court Tuesday.

Senior counsel Shanti Bhushan, appearing for mediapersons, said the court could only be seen as promoting the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression and not abridging it.

"I beseech the court not to be a party to the curtailment of freedom of press," he told the apex court constitution bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice D.K. Jain, Justice S.S. Nijjar, Justice R.P. Desai and Justice J.S. Khehar.

The court was hearing an application by the Sahara India Real Estate Corp voicing its grievance over a news channel reporting its proposal made to the Securities and Exchange Board of India on securing the money it mopped up from the market.

The court earlier said that it would frame guidelines for reporting on sub-judice matters.