As if the relentless attack by Maharashtra govt and Mumbai police on Arnab Goswami was not enough, now a PIL has been filed seeking to prevent his news channel Republic TV from reporting on any criminal investigation. A person named Mohd Khalil has filed a Public Interest Litigation before Delhi High Court seeking directions against Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and his media company to prevent publication or broadcast of any information or news relating to any criminal investigation, reported by Bar and Bench. The PIL was listed for hearing before a Division Bench of Justices DN Patel and Prateek Jalan. The court asked the petitioner to prepare a draft of the rules that he has proposed to be implemented.
The PIL requests the court to give directions to the Central government to frame rules, regulations or guidelines to govern reporting or broadcasting of any news related to any criminal investigation by any media outlet. In his petition, Khalil has claimed that Arnab Goswami and his media company have been reporting distorted and misleading facts related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput through their broadcasts and publications.
In the petition filed through Advocate Randhir Kumar Lal, it has been alleged that the prejudicial reporting of Republic TV has resulted in the infringement of the right to fair trail of actress Rhea Chakraborty who is the prime accused in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. It is further alleged that the channel has tried to increase its TRPs and viewership at the cost of Chakraborty’s right to fair trial. “The entire charade is nothing but an exercise to increase the TRPs and viewership at the cost of an accused’s right to fair trial”, the petition reads.
Alleging that the broadcast is capable of interfering with and obstructing the administration of justice, Khalil has prayed that contempt proceedings should be initiated against Goswami and his media company.
Since the broadcast is capable of interfering with and obstructing the administration of justice, the Petitioner has also prayed that contempt proceedings be initiated against Arnab Goswami and his media company.
The next hearing of the matter is scheduled for November 27. The Centre is being represented by Standing Counsel Ajay Digpaul.
