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Return has been made to the rule nisi and the Inspector-General of Prisons in his affidavit has pleaded that the petitioner is a free lance journalist and is not employed by any responsible newspaper. The permission issued in favour of the petitioner was under administrative misunderstanding and mistaken belief and was in contravention of the Maharashtra Prison Manual. When this fact was discovered the permission was withdrawn. It has been pleaded that interview with prisoners is governed by the rules made in the Maharashtra Prison Manual and the petitioner does not satisfy the prescription therein so as to justify grant of permission for having interviews with prisoners. The Inspector-General wrote a letter to the petitioner on 31st May, 1982, explaining therein that normally the prison authorities do not allow interviews with the prisoners unless the person seeking interview is a research scholar studying for Ph. D. Or intends to visit the prison as a part of his field work of curriculum prescribed for post graduate course etc. The letter further indicated that there was no rules for permitting interviews except to the relatives and legal advisers for facilitating defence of prisoners. The Inspector-General further indicated in his letter that there was no inherent right of journalists to elicit information from prisoners.