The Hindu : New Delhi News : Apex court refuses to stay telecast of sting operations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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New Delhi

Apex court refuses to stay telecast of sting operations

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay further telecast of certain ``sting operations'' being aired by private channels exposing the alleged fraudulent activities of several ``godmen,'' who reportedly command huge followings.

A Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and D.K. Jain, however, issued notices to the Union Government on a batch of petitions filed by the aggrieved ``godmen,'' who while alleging that the ``sting operations'' were part of a blackmailing racket sought an enactment to ban such operations.

Besides the Union Government, the apex court sought replies from the Secretary, Ministry of Telecommunication; CNN-IB TV (English), IBN-7 TV (Hindi channel), TV 18 and Cobra Post chief Aniruddha Behal on the petition.

Three petitioners

The three petitioners — Mahamandaleshwar Mahayogi alias Pilot Baba, Mahamandaeshwar Swami Maharaj and Acharya Pramod Shree — in separate petitions have alleged that the programmes were doctored and manipulated after they refused to pay money to the persons who conducted the said sting operations.

The channels — CNN/IBN, IBN-7, TV 18 — over the past few days had been airing the programmes purportedly emerging out of a sting operation conducted by a website ``Cobra Post'' exposing the alleged fraudulent claims and activities of the said godmen. — PTI

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