In the wake of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, various allegations were hurled against Bollywood, while using derogatory words like ‘dirt’, ‘filth’ and ‘scum‘.
News channels like Republic TV and Times Now were then slapped with legal suit as Bollywood Bigwigs finally decided to strike back with a defamation case!
4 Bollywood industry Associations and 34 leading Bollywood producers had moved the Delhi High Court seeking to curb the media trials and irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks being made against the film industry. The suit was filed against Republic TV, and Arnab Goswami and Pradeep Bhandari of the channel; and Times Now and its top faces Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar.
The channels were accused of using derogatory expressions like – “This is the dirtiest industry in the country”; and “Cocaine and LSD-drenched Bollywood”.
Production houses of leading names like Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Aditya Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and all other major banners were plaintiffs in the suit.
Now, as per NDTV report, nearly a month after the lawsuit was filed against the two channels, the Delhi High Court has ruled in favour of Bollywood.
It has told the two channels – Republic TV and Times Now – that “no defamatory content” should be displayed on their channels or uploaded on social media.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, representing the Bollywood plaintiffs had argued that the news channels violated the privacy of several Bollywood actors by accessing their WhatsApp chats.
The court then told the news channels – “Media can’t run a parallel trial. You’re a broadcaster… show news. There is less news and more opinion.”
Justice Rajiv Shakdher further added – “Bollywood celebrities are entitled to privacy. Look what happened in the case of Princess Diana… she died because she was being chased by the media. You can’t just go on like this. The courts are the last ones to want to regulate.”
The court stressed that while nobody was stopping media houses from reporting, the manner had to be right.
“Even cuss words are being used during live debates. Nobody is stopping from reporting but language and the manner has to be right.”
Apart from ensuring no defamatory content is displayed on their channels or uploaded on their social media handles, the court has also recorded the news channels’, Republic TV and Times Now, assurance that they will follow the Cable TV Act & Rules, and the Programme Code.
The news channels have been given two weeks to file their replies. The next hearing in this case will take place on December 14, as per Live Law.