HC issues notice to Centre on plea by Ranya Rao’s mother to lay down guidelines for media

High Court of Karnataka orders notice to Central government and media houses on petition regarding guidelines for electronic media.

The High Court of Karnataka has ordered issue of notice to the Central government and 32 media houses on a petition filed by the mother of actor Ranya Rao, who is arrested in gold smuggling case, seeking a direction to lay down certain guidelines with regard to publication by the electronic media, in particular, when the accused is a woman.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order on the petition filed by Rohini H.P, wife of K. Ramachandra Rao, Director General of Police and Chairman of the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, who is the stepfather of Ms. Ranya.

It was pointed out to the court that media houses are telecasting defamatory and unverified information/allegations against Ms. Ranya even after a Bengaluru civil court had recently issued a temporary injunction against them from publishing or telecasting such information in the gold smuggling case registered against her by the Directorate of of Revenue Intelligence.

She has also sought directions to the Centre to lay down guidelines for central investigating agencies regarding precautions or safeguards to be followed in the ongoing or pending investigations on divulging information to media.

The petitioner also sought a direction to the Centre to issue appropriate order to media houses to adhere to the temporary restraint order issued by the civil court and the guidelines issued to the media by the Delhi High Court on the lines of direction issued by the High Court in a petition filed by actor Darshan’s wife for restraining the media from publishing confidential contents of investigation and charge sheet.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ramachandra Rao filed another petition seeking direction to the Central government to communicate to all the media houses the interim order passed earlier by the High Court restraining the media from publishing or telecasting defamatory contents against him in connection with the gold smuggling case registered against his step daughter.

It has been complained in Mr. Rao’s fresh petition that despite the order of injunction, the media houses have not stopped telecasting and publishing such information against him.