The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any interim order granting protection from arrest to two journalists from Madhya Pradesh who alleged custodial violence, caste-based abuse and ongoing threat to life from Bhind Police, Bar and Bench reported.

Amarkant Singh Chauhan of Swaraj Express and Shashikant Jatav of Dainik Bejor Ratna had approached the court alleging that they were kidnapped on May 1, assaulted in custody and subjected to casteist slurs by Superintendent of Police Asit Yadav and his colleague at a police station in Bhind, the legal news outlet reported.

The journalists alleged that they were targeted for exposing corruption through their reports, The Indian Express reported.

In their writ petition, Chauhan and Jatav sought a direction from the Supreme Court to the Madhya Pradesh Police against taking any coercive action against them, the newspaper reported.

The bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma said that the court could not issue an interim order protecting the two journalists from arrest without being informed of the exact nature of the allegations against them, Bar and Bench reported.

“Suppose you commit a crime like murder, can we grant you no coercive protection order?” Justice Sharma said. “We have to know what kind of crime police is alleging.”

The court, however, assured the petitioners that it will come to their rescue if there is a threat to life, The Indian Express reported.

The case will be heard further on June 9.

On May 19, the two journalists had fled to Delhi allegedly after facing harassment from the police. They had then also moved the National Human Rights Commission and the Press Council of India, the newspaper reported.

They have claimed that more than half a dozen other journalists were present in the chamber of the superintendent of police and subjected to physical abuse before they reached.

“SP Asit Yadav was displeased about the extensive reporting about the illegal sand mining activities in the Chambal river that are carried out by the sand mafia in connivance with the local police,” Chouhan and Goyal were quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

They further alleged that they were coerced by Yadav and other police officials to drop all charges about the assault.

Earlier, Yadav had dismissed all allegations as false. “They are not journalists, they are blackmailers,” he had told Newslaundry in May.

On May 28, the Delhi High Court had ordered the Delhi Police to offer protection to Chouhan for two months, after he approached the court while awaiting further legal remedies, Live Law reported. This protection remains in effect.

“In the meantime, approach the jurisdictional [Madhya Pradesh] High Court and take your remedies there,” the court had verbally directed Chouhan while offering protection.

Jatav had also approached the Delhi High Court, but the matter has not yet been taken up. The case has been renotified for consideration on July 14.