The Bombay High Court on Monday noted that Republic TV and Times Now’s reporting against the Mumbai Police in the Sushant Singh Rajput case was “prima facie contemptuous”, but refrained from taking any action against them, Live Law reported.
The bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni was hearing a batch of petitions against the “media trial” following the actor’s death.
The court noted that trial by media interferes with the police’s criminal investigation. “Reconstructing of crime scenes, interviews with potential witnesses, leaking sensitive and confidential information should be avoided,” the bench said. “Press/media ought to avoid discussions, debates relating to criminal investigation and should confine only to informative reports in such matters in public interest.”
The judges rebuked the lawyers representing Republic TV. “If you become the investigator, prosecutor and the judge, what is the use of us?” they asked….