Delhi HC To Hear Bollywood Producers & Bodies' Plea against News Channels

Media Channels have been covering Sushant Singh Rajput's death case extensively during the lockdown. In response to the alleged media trials, last month a petition was filed by 4 Bollywood associations and 34 producers seeking a restraint on channels Republic TV and Times Now from making or publishing what the plea claimed as "irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory" remarks against Hindi film industry and its members.

Delhi High Court Justice Rajiv Shakhdar, on Monday, November 9, is set to hear the plea, which also sought to restrain news channels from conducting "media trials" of Bollywood celebrities and interfering with their right to privacy. The suit filed by DSK Legal on behalf of the plaintiffs, also stated that the coverage has irreparably damaged the industry's reputation, by painting the entire industry as criminals seeped in the drug culture.

The petitioners urged the court that the defendants abide by the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, and to withdraw, recall and take down all defamatory content published by them against Bollywood. The plea also claimed that the channels in question have been regularly mocking the Programme Code framed under Section 5 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and contained in Rule 6 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, which governs the television channels.

Listing the alleged expressions used by the channels to defame the industry, the plea said, words like "dirt", "filth", "scum" and "druggies", "it is Bollywood where the dirt needs to be cleaned", "all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood", "this is the dirtiest industry in the country", and "cocaine and LSD drenched Bollywood" were used by them.

Bollywood representors, including Producers Guild of India, Cine and TV Artiste Association, Film and TV Producers Council, and Screenwriters Association have joined hands to raise voice against the media channels. Some of the production houses involved include Aamir Khan Productions, Salman Khan Ventures, Ad-Labs Films, Ajay Devgn Fflims, Andolan Films, Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network, Arbaaz Khan Productions, Rohit Shetty Pictures, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, and many others.

The petitioners also added that they do not seek a blanket gag order against media reportage into the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput's death, but merely sought a perpetual and mandatory injunction against the defendants, from carrying on with the reportage that violates applicable laws.