Republic TV has right to air Sunanda Pushkar story but with restraint: HC
Delhi high court refused to restrain Arnab Goswami from airing news on Sunand Pushkar’s death but asks to be balanced
The Delhi High Court, on December 1, 2017, refused to restrain journalist Arnab Goswami and his channel Republic TV from airing news about the death of Sunanda Pushkar but also added to maintain balance and respect Shashi Tharoor’s “right to silence”.
Justice Manmohan said the right to air the story cannot be taken away but a balance has to be maintained. Republic TV has “the right to air their stories and the same cannot be curbed, but it has to be tempered and balanced,” the court said in the judgement.
The court also asked Arnab Goswami and his Republic TV to respect Shashi Tharoor’s “right to silence” and added that before airing any story on the matter, Republic TV should give Shashi Tharoor a written notice asking for his version.
In the 61-page-judgement, the Delhi High Court has also concluded that when criminal investigation has commenced, media reporting should be sensitive to the indeterminacy of the questions raised in the proceedings.
“Press cannot ‘convict anyone’ or insinuate that he/she is guilty or make any other unsubstantiated claims,” the judgement read.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a five-star hotel’s suite in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
Shashi Tharoor had filed three different applications in Rs 2 crore defamation suit against Arnab Goswami and Republic TV for allegedly making defamatory remarks him during the channels news coverage of Pushkar’s death.
Justice Manmohan said the right to air the story cannot be taken away but a balance has to be maintained. Republic TV has “the right to air their stories and the same cannot be curbed, but it has to be tempered and balanced,” the court said in the judgement.
The court also asked Arnab Goswami and his Republic TV to respect Shashi Tharoor’s “right to silence” and added that before airing any story on the matter, Republic TV should give Shashi Tharoor a written notice asking for his version.
In the 61-page-judgement, the Delhi High Court has also concluded that when criminal investigation has commenced, media reporting should be sensitive to the indeterminacy of the questions raised in the proceedings.
“Press cannot ‘convict anyone’ or insinuate that he/she is guilty or make any other unsubstantiated claims,” the judgement read.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a five-star hotel’s suite in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
Shashi Tharoor had filed three different applications in Rs 2 crore defamation suit against Arnab Goswami and Republic TV for allegedly making defamatory remarks him during the channels news coverage of Pushkar’s death.
