The Hindu : National : Restraint on airing of objectionable photos

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Saturday, Aug 25, 2007
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Restraint on airing of objectionable photos

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to restrain all television news channels, Zee News in particular, from telecasting purported nude photographs of actor Monica Bedi al legedly shot in bathroom when she was detained in Bhopal jail.

A three-Judge Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justices Tarun Chatterjee and R.V. Raveendran passed this interim order on an urgent petition filed by Monica Bedi to restrain the electronic media from telecasting or publishing her objectionable photographs, shot allegedly by a hidden camera in the jail bathroom when she was lodged in the prison in connection with a passport forgery case.

Pointing out that the petitioner had not listed the various news channels, the Bench asked the petitioner to implead the news channels concerned and gave liberty to file additional affidavits.

Senior counsel K.T.S. Tulsi mentioned the case before the Bench and said that the Zee News channel repeatedly telecast on August 23 purported photographs of the actor that was objectionable.

“Misuse of freedom”

He contended that by telecasting the photographs, the channel had destroyed the petitioner’s modesty for all times to come. He said there were hundreds of news channels and she was afraid that the photograph might be telecast in other channels also. He said that these were not “pornographic channels” and they must have some sense of responsibility. These channels could not misuse press freedom like this, he said.

When the Bench wanted to know whether the petitioner had filed any complaint with the police or the Union Government, counsel said she had no time for this as the channel had been telecasting the photographs since Thursday and there was a possibility of other channels picking up them.

He said it was shocking that this (the alleged photographing) could happen when Monica Bedi was in jail. Contending that her right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 had been violated, he sought a direction from the court to the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh Government to order a high-level inquiry into the entire incident.

The petitioner also sought a direction to Zee News to pay punitive damages to her for the loss of prestige, reputation, mental agony and trauma caused to her by the telecast of the objectionable photographs.

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