Shraddha Walkar case: HC restrains TV channels from reporting on charge sheet

Delhi Police moved court seeking to restrain media houses from publishing, printing, and disseminating confidential information in the charge sheet

The Delhi high court on Wednesday restrained news channels from reporting on the contents of the charge sheet in the Shraddha Walkar murder case and directed the Union government to ensure this until the disposal of the police’s petition related to it.

The court directed the Union government to ensure the restraint. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Delhi Police moved the court seeking to restrain media houses from publishing, printing, and disseminating confidential information in the charge sheet and such material collected during the investigation into the case.

On Monday, a trial court allowed police to approach the high court. It directed TV news channel Aaj Tak not to telecast the contents of the narco analysis and psychological assessment of Aaftab Poonawala, the accused in the case, for three days.

Special public prosecutor Amit Prasad told the high court that Aaj Tak has access to the analysis video of Poonawala and the channel was restrained from showing such content. He added an order needs to be passed for other channels also as the video might have been shared with them. Prasad said the video could prejudice the case.

Poonawala is accused of strangling his live-in partner Walkar and chopping her body into pieces last year.