Sting Operations

Why sting operations amount to taking law in your own hand

The refrain in this country is one should not take law in one’s own hands. Unauthorized stinging partially defies this admonition

Tehelka brand stings are past their sell-by date

Sting journalism can no longer be considered a legitimate tactic - not unless it is vetted by neutral parties before they are conducted. The idea is past its sell-by date.

Tehelka was not an 'idea', it was a sting operator

Since the Tehelka sex scandal broke out, there have been a few spirited efforts to indirectly defend Tarun Tejpal with an interesting proxy argument that eulogised the publication as an “idea”.

Why do sting operations target only small-towners?

The trend in Indian stings seems to be to target the easy meat. Whether it is India TV, Cobrapost or Tehelka, the bulk of the victims seem to be small-town, possibly semi-literate, and vulnerable types. But there are no big fish ever caught in the net.

SC opens a can of worms by sanctifying sting operations

The Supreme Court has ruled that the police need not be told about sting operations. This calls for more self-regulation by journalists.