'Some Reporting Was Found Contemptuous' :Bombay HC On ‘Media Trial’ In SSR Case

The Bombay High Court on Monday held the trial on public interest litigation (PIL) petitions filed against "media trial" in the wake of the reportage relating to the death of Bollywood actor, Sushant Singh Rajput case. While some reporting by Republic TV and Times Now was found contemptuous, the court pronounced that the bench has refrained from passing any orders on it, Bar & Bench reported.

The bench also added, "The norms of journalistic standards and code of ethics to be followed."

Breaking: Some reporting by @republic and @TimesNow in #SushantSinghRajput case was found contemptuous but we have refrained from passing any orders on it, Bombay High Court#bombayhighcourt #mediatrial pic.twitter.com/gDt2e2CI5O

— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 18, 2021

"Criticism of city police by TV media was unfair, in view of the material placed on record. The city police was at the very basic stage of probe", the court said, Live Law reported. The petitioners also sought some sort of guidelines to regulate television and print media, without curbing the freedom. Further a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni said, "We direct the press and print media to refrain from depicting and stating following things: In death by suicide to depict the victim as weak would create aspersions on the investigation. Publishing statements in the investigation."

Bench: We direct the press and print media to refrain from depicting and stating following things:

In death by suicide to depict the victim as weak would create aspersions on the investigation.

Publishing statements in the investigation.

— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 18, 2021

One of the petitioners had called for an order that would restrict media reportage that could hamper the investigation in the sensational case. The petition, filed by eight former IPS officers of Maharashtra, seeks restraining order against the “media trial“ in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The media “reportage on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case is such that there is an attempt to influence a neutral investigation," their lawyer had argued. He added that "every piece of reporting is hatred and vilification of Mumbai police,” Bar and Bench reported. And another PIL seeks regulation of “malicious campaign against Mumbai Police” by some media outlets while reporting the case.

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Feature Image Credit: Sushant Singh Rajput/ Instagram

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