Video on Somaiya: Marathi channel back on air after Delhi HC order

Kamlesh Sutar, editor-in-chief of Lokshahi, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that after the order by the I&B ministry, the channel was put under suspension for 72 hours. This was challenged in the Delhi high court and after a lengthy hearing, the high court suspended the ministry’s directions and said that the channel could resume from 7 pm on Saturday till further orders, Sutar said

Mumbai: A Marathi news channel that had gone blank for running a controversial video on BJP leader Kirit Somaiya was back on air on Saturday following an order by the Delhi high court.

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On Friday, the ministry for information and broadcasting issued an order asking the channel to go off air for three days from 7pm on September 22 to 7pm on September 25. The channel challenged this order in the Delhi HC.

Kamlesh Sutar, editor-in-chief of Lokshahi, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that after the order by the I&B ministry, the channel was put under suspension for 72 hours. This was challenged in the Delhi high court and after a lengthy hearing, the high court suspended the ministry’s directions and said that the channel could resume from 7 pm on Saturday till further orders, Sutar said.

Lokshahi ran the video on July 17 triggering a political storm in the monsoon session of the legislature. The channel also claimed it had access to 36 such videos. Somaiya, however, alleged a conspiracy against him and wrote to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Mumbai police chief seeking an investigation into the episode.