The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court has directed the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that there is no reporting on movement of troops by print or electronic media.

Acting on a PIL, a bench comprising justices Uma Nath Singh and Virendra Kumar Dixit said that the issue of movement of army troops is not a matter which should require public discussion at the cost of defence secrecy and the security of the country.

The court, however, dismissed the plea for a high-level probe into the April 4 report by a national daily alleging unusual movement of troops on the night of January 16, the day Army Chief Gen VK Singh approached the Supreme Court on the age issue.