HC continues stay on Delhi rape case broadcast till Feb 20

In a setback to Sony Entertainment Channel, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on 23 January 2013 maintained its stay on the broadcast of an episode of popular TV show 'Crime Patrol-Dastak'.

This is a special episode on the Delhi rape case, where a paramedical student was brutally thrashed and gang raped on December 16 last year. She succumbed to her injuries 13 days later. The brutal incident shook the conscience of the nation and forced citizens to protest for stringent laws to check rising crime against women.

The channel was to broadcast the special episode, a dramatized version of the sensational incident, on January 11 and 12 during its late night slot. However, an NGO approached the judiciary by filing a petition seeking a ban on its telecast apprehending an adverse impact on the gang rape trial, that recently started in-camera at Saket sessions court in the capital.

A division bench comprising justices A P Lavande and Arun Chaudhari then extended the stay till February 20 and kept the petition for final disposal. The judges also asked union information and broadcasting ministry (I&B) to file their reply on an affidavit within two weeks.

Earlier, Mumbai-based Multi Screen Media Private Limited filed an affidavit on behalf of Sony while, justifying telecast of the show and seeking dismissal of the plea. The affidavit filed by Akshay Naik on behalf of senior vice-president (legal) Dipti Kotak said the show was based on information already available in the public domain and the victim's identity was not revealed.

Moreover, many channels and publications had already televised or published the entire incident, and therefore, its telecast will not cause any prejudice to the case trials. She argued that the show suggests solutions and doesn't sensationalize any crime.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/legal-news/item/642-hc-continues-stay-on-delhi-rape-case-broadcast-till-feb-20.html
Source: http://cablequest.org/news/legal-news/item/642-hc-continues-stay-on-delhi-rape-case-broadcast-till-feb-20.html