Sagar Rana murder: Delhi HC declines to entertain plea to restrain ‘media trial’ of Sushil Kumar

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said the petition has been filed on behalf of a ‘vigilant person’ – Sushil Kumar – claiming that media has defamed him by its reportage of the murder case in which he is an accused.

The Delhi High Court on Friday (May 28) declined to entertain a plea to restrain the media from ‘sensationalising’ the trial of wrestler and Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in connection with the death of a 23-year old man, and seeking rules for reporting criminal cases, saying a PIL cannot be filed for an individual who is a ‘vigilant person’. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said the petition has been filed on behalf of a ‘vigilant person’ – Sushil Kumar – claiming that media has defamed him by its reportage of the murder case in which he is an accused. “You cannot file a PIL for an individual. We see no reason to entertain litigation on behalf of a vigilant person,” the court said and disposed of the plea by a law student. The law student had alleged that Sushil Kumar’s career and reputation has been damaged by the media’s reporting of the case against him in connection with the Chhatrasal Stadium brawl that led to the death of the 23-year-old wrestler. On May 23, a Delhi court sent Kumar to 6-day police custody for interrogation in connection with the killing of a fellow wrestler, saying the allegations against him are serious in nature and that no one is above the law.