Apex court stays arrest of journalists, notice to Speaker

 The court asked the secretary of the Assembly and the state government to reply to the writ petition by The Hindu in three weeks after which the case would be heard again. None appeared for the state or the Assembly in the Supreme Court.

 The Bench comprising Justice YK Sabharwal and Justice SB Sinha was hearing the petition of The Hindu journalists and the editor of Murasoli, a Tamil journal, who has also been issued a warrant.

 Speaker K Kalaimuthu issued the warrants following a resolution of the Assembly. The journalists were sentenced to 15-day imprisonment for breach of privilege of the House. The offending piece was an editorial of The Hindu titled