Madras High Court restrains media from reporting Tamil actor’s matrimonial dispute

Madras High Court restrains media from reporting film actor’s matrimonial dispute; Justice G.R. Swaminathan says, the right to privacy of the couple’s children must be respected by media

The Madras High Court has restrained the media, both print as well as online, from posting, hosting, or debating any information concerning the matrimonial dispute between a popular film actor and his wife, as it would have deleterious effect not only on them but also their minor children.

Justice G.R. Swaminathan ordered that all online portals and websites must take down the offending, defamatory contents that they had already published regarding the matrimonial dispute between the couple, to respect the right to privacy of the two children as well.

The judge directed the High Court Registry to mark a copy of his order to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to ensure prompt and effective compliance of the generalised order passed by him with respect to all media houses across the country.

The orders were passed at the request of senior counsel Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing the actor who had approached the court to prevent his estranged wife and the latter’s mother from making defamatory statements against him on mainstream and social media.

During the course of hearing of the case, the judge said, there was a biblical saying that one should do to others what he/she would want them to do to him/her. Negatively put, it would mean that one should not do to others what he/she would not want them to do to him/her.

“The applicant herein does not want the respondents to defame him. Fair enough. But the applicant also should conduct himself likewise,” the judge said and obtained an undertaking from Mr. Naidu and senior counsel J. Ravindran, assisted by S.P. Arthi, representing the actor’s wife, that neither party would issue statements against the other.

After giving the undertaking, Mr. Naidu urged the court to pass a “super injunction order”, restraining the media in general from reporting any information regarding the matrimonial dispute, since there was always a possibility of “inspired leaks or sponsored reporting” from either party.