New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought response from the Madhya Pradesh government on a plea filed by two journalists, who have alleged that they were beaten up in a police station in the state for reporting on sand mafia.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma agreed to hear the plea filed by journalists Shashikant Goyal and Amarkant Singh Chouhan, and issued notice to Madhya Pradesh seeking its response.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners urged the bench that interim protection from arrest be granted to the petitioners.

“Let the other side respond. Let the facts be brought by the state also,” the bench said.

It issued notice on the plea and posted it for hearing on June 9.

On May 28, the Delhi High Court granted protection to Chouhan, who claimed there was threat to his life by the Bhind superintendent of police after he was allegedly beaten in his office.

The high court had directed Delhi Police to give protection to Chouhan, a resident of Madhya Pradesh and Bhind Bureau Chief of Swaraj Express news channel, for two months.

Last month, three journalists from Bhind district had alleged they were beaten or manhandled inside the office of superintendent of police, an allegation denied by the officer.

Pritam Singh Rajawat, who runs a YouTube channel, Goyal who runs a news portal, and Chouhan, who also works for a news channel, alleged in a complaint submitted to the district collector that they were assaulted on May 1.