Image courtesy: Amit Bandre / https://www.newindianexpress.com
The Bombay High Court was faced with another case where media houses had crossed a line and published objectionable content in a criminal case, harming the reputation of the parties involved. In Pune, a Class 10 student had fallen off the balcony of her house and died.
After this incident, various print and electronic media started circulating news alleging that the deceased was having illicit relations with one Y. Around 12 audio clips of alleged conversations of daughter X with some unknown person were circulated by political parties and media, the contents of which were to defame the name and image of the Petitioner and his family and his daughter.
The Counsel for the petitioner, Shirish Gupte, cited the directions and guidelines issued by the Bombay High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta in Nilesh Navalakha v. UOI and ors. The bench had reprimanded the media houses and warned them against conducting ‘media trials’ and had said that that if news channels had in fact found any incriminating evidence pertaining to any case, they should provide it to the police.
The bench comprising Justices Manish Pitale and SS Shinde issued notice to the respondents and in the interim directed them to scrupulously follow the guidelines in the Nilesh Navlakha case and not to publish or give any unnecessary publicity to the incident of death of the daughter X of the Petitioner and further alleged illicit relationship with Y.
The complete order may be read here:
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