Delhi HC asks Centre for status report on action taken in Rakul Preet’s plea against ‘media trial’
The Delhi high court on Tuesday asked the Centre to file a status report as to the steps taken pursuant to its order of September 17 where it had directed the authorities to treat as a representation actor Rakul Preet Singh’s plea restraining media from reporting on her in connection with Rhea Chakraborty drug case.
Justice Navin Chawla also issued notices to the authorities on the application seeking the response of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry among other respondents and posted the matter for further hearing on October 15.
Chakraborty is at the centre of a controversy surrounding actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14.
Singh’s application was filed in the main petition alleging a media trial against her in the case after she was reportedly named by Chakrabarty in a statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) authorities.
CBI, NCB, and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are the three central agencies which are probing Rajput’s death.
Singh’s counsel Aman Hingorani told the court that fake news was being peddled against her. He submitted that after he filed the main petition in the HC, media reports said that she was summoned by the NCB authorities on September 24.
He said Singh was in Hyderabad and had not received any summons. He said that fake news was being peddled against his client, where she was accused of stocking up drugs. He said that TV news channels alleged that she was dodging the NCB authorities, even though she received the summons later.
He claimed that Singh was losing out on the work front, as she was removed from films because of her alleged drug links. “My right to dignity, privacy, which is to be left alone, is being violated,” Singh’s petition stated .
However, the court sought to know whether it could pass any order when none of the TV news channels was present. It said that the petitioner needed to furnish a grievance or a broadcast with which she was aggrieved.
Rahul Bhatia, the counsel for News Broadcasters Association (NBA), the collective voice of the TV news channels, told the court that they have been receiving a lot of complaints, which are being looked into on a daily basis. The court asked Bhatia to file a status report in this regard.
The court also sought to know from Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma about what actions were taken on its September 17 order, where it had asked to consider Singh’s plea of media trial as a representation.
ASG Sharma told the court that the NBA was aware of the matter and the process was in progress. He said Singh was not an accused and she was being investigated. He said that any order by the court at this stage would affect the ongoing probe in the case.
The court issued notice on the urgent plea seeking to ensure that the TV news channels were barred to broadcast any report on Singh’s links to the NCB probe in the Chakraborty drug case.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Synthetic running track on Sukhna Lake gets Chandigarh administrator’s nod
Chandigarh Chandigarh administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday gave in-principle approval for a synthetic running track at Sukhna Lake. UT adviser Dharam Pal, said, “The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee had earlier given its go-ahead for the proposal. Next, the detailed plan and cost estimates will be prepared; and then, tenders will be floated for the project.” A UT official said the proposed track is part of the administration's efforts to give Sukhna Lake a major facelift.
-
Soon, 2 over-bridges to cut travel time between Kalka, Zirakpur
The National Highway Authority of India has approved two over-bridges, which are likely to reduce travel time between Kalka and Zirakpur and alleviate traffic jams on the stretch by next year. NHAI has already floated tenders for the 60-m wide over-bridges, which will be constructed at a cost of ₹50 crore. It has invited bids for the “construction and site improvement of the four-lane national highway (NH-22) on the Zirakpur-Parwanoo junction.”
-
Close shave for 15 students as bus skids into waterlogged ditch in Zirakpur
Fifteen students had a narrow escape after their school bus skidded into a waterlogged open drain in Daulat Singhwala village in Phabat area of Zirakpur. The bus, which was ferrying students of Blue Bird High School, Sector 16, Panchkula, was making way for another school bus when it skidded into the overflowing drain. The bus tilted in the drain, but passersby and parents were able to rescue the children through the driver's window.
-
Three missing as car washes away near Nayagaon
Tricity residents woke up to heavy rainfall for the second time this month on Wednesday. Three people went missing after a taxi, shuttling two commuters, was swept away in a flashflood in the Patiala-Ki-Rao rivulet as the driver attempted to cross the causeway in Tanda Village near Nayagaon. The owner of the vehicle, Rakesh Kumar told the police that Gaurav had called him saying two people, travelling to Baddi, had booked his cab.
-
97mm rain: Chandigarh witnesses wettest July day in 5 years
Chandigarh received 97mm rainfall between 6am and 8.30am, the heaviest rain in July since 2017, as per the India Meteorological Department. It received another 0.9mm of rainfall during the day. The maximum precipitation till 8.30am was recorded at the Sector 39 observatory (97mm), 49.2mm rain was recorded at the airport observatory, 77.5mm rain in Panchkula and 74.5 mm rain in Mohali.
