The Supreme Court has banned mining in the Aravalli Hills to stop degradation of the forest cover and to maintain ecological balance. However, the stone mining was still prevalent in the border district of the affected State with connivance of certain corrupt forest officials and politicians. Young and dynamic SP who was recently posted in the affected district promised to himself to stop this menace. In one of his surprise checks with his team, he found loaded truck with stone trying to escape the mining area. He tried to stop the truck but the truck driver overrun the police officer, killing him on the spot and thereafter managed to flee. Police filed FIR but no breakthrough was achieved in the case for almost three months. Ashok who was the Investigative Journalist working with leading TV channel, suo moto started investigating the case. Within one month, Ashok got breakthrough by interacting with local people, stone mining mafia and government officials. He prepared his investigative story and presented to the CMD of the TV channel. He exposed in his investigative report the complete nexus of stone mafia working with blessing of corrupt police and civil officials and politicians. The politician who was involved in the mafia was no one else but local MLA who was considered to be very close to the Chief Minister. After going through the investigative report, the CMD advised Ashok to drop the idea of making the story public through electronic media. He informed that the local MLA was not only the relative of the owner of the TV channel but also had unofficially 20 percent share in the channel. The CMD further informed Ashok that his further promotion and hike in pay will be taken care of in addition the soft loan of Rs. 10 lakhs which he has taken from the TV channel for his son’s chronic disease will be suitably adjusted if he hands over the investigative report to him. (a) What are the options available with Ashok to cope up with the situation? (b) Critically evaluate/examine each of the options identified by Ashok. (c) What are the ethical dilemmas being faced by Ashok? (d) Which of the options, do you think, would be the most appropriate for Ashok to adopt and why? (e) In the above scenario, what type of training would you suggest for police officers posted to such districts where stone mining illegal activities are rampant?
Subtopic: Case Study · media ethics and investigative journalism
How to structure your answer
Detailed model answer
306 words · target 250 words · 20 min
Brief facts
Ashok, an investigative journalist, exposes a stone-mining mafia nexus involving a local MLA close to the Chief Minister, after a police officer is killed. His CMD — because the MLA is a relative and a 20% stakeholder in the channel — pressures him to bury the story, dangling promotion, a pay hike, and adjustment of a Rs 10-lakh soft loan taken for his son's illness.
Ethical dilemmas faced by Ashok
- Truth and public interest versus personal and financial security.
- Professional duty of a journalist versus loyalty to the employer.
- Justice for the slain officer and the rule of law versus powerful vested interests.
Options and critical evaluation
1. Hand over the report and drop the story. Merit: financial relief, career growth and personal safety. Demerit: betrayal of journalistic ethics, suppression of truth and complicity in shielding crime.
2. Publish through his own channel regardless. Merit: upholds truth. Demerit: likely to be blocked by the CMD, ending in job loss and futility.
3. Refuse to bury the story and pursue it ethically — verify facts, protect sources, and route the material to an independent outlet, the Press Council or investigating authorities if his channel gags him. Merit: preserves integrity and public interest through legitimate means. Demerit: personal and financial risk.
Most appropriate option
Ashok should adopt Option 3. A journalist's first loyalty is to citizens and truth. He should decline the inducement, safeguard the verified evidence, and ensure it reaches the public or investigating agencies through credible, lawful channels, while seeking whistle-blower and legal protection. His son's medical needs are real, but they cannot be met by suppressing a crime; he should seek transparent financial help instead.
Training suggested for police in mining-affected districts
- Ethics and integrity modules to resist collusion and inducement.
- Awareness of environmental law and Supreme Court orders on mining.
- Intelligence-led enforcement and safe surprise-check protocols.
- Stress management, welfare support and officer/witness protection.
What an examiner expects to see
- A journalist's primary loyalty is to truth and the public, not the employer
- Accepting inducements to bury the story is complicity in shielding crime
- Right course: refuse, protect sources and evidence, use lawful independent channels
- Seek whistle-blower and legal protection; meet personal needs transparently
- Justice for the slain officer and the rule of law are at stake
- Police training: ethics, environmental law, intelligence-led safe enforcement, welfare
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Supreme Court restrictions on illegal mining in the Aravalli Hills
- Press Council of India and journalistic codes of ethics
- Whistle-blower and witness protection mechanisms
- Nexus of mining mafia, officials and politicians documented in various states