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The court pointed out that this was not a gag order on the media but asserted that the sanctity of the investigation had to be maintained.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned Republic TV\u2019s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami for holding a parallel inquiry and trial in Congress leader Shashi Tharoor\u2019s wife Sunanda Pushkar\u2019s death case, and instructed him to exercise restraint in his reportage, reported PTI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Mukta Gupta said the court pointed out that this was not a gag order on the media but asserted that the sanctity of the investigation had to be maintained. The court was hearing Tharoor\u2019s plea, which sought an interim injunction against Goswami and to restrain him from broadcasting Pushkar\u2019s case as it was still pending.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, on behalf of Tharoor, contended that despite a chargesheet that does not cite a murder case, Goswami has claimed in his shows that he was sure that Pushkar was murdered, reported Live Law. Sibal also noted the court\u2019s December 2017 order, in which Goswami was asked to refrain from conducting a media trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan a man be abused like this in a public debate?\u201d Sibal asked the court. \u201cHow can he [Goswami] say that a murder was committed, when the chargesheet says otherwise? This can\u2019t continue like this till this court hears the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court rebuked Goswami for implying that it was a murder case when the chargesheet was based on abetment to suicide charges. \u201cWere you there at the spot, are you an eyewitness?\u201d the court asked. \u201cDo you even know what constituted murder? You need to first understand what murder is before claiming that a murder took place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goswami\u2019s lawyer Malvika Trivedi argued that the editor had credible evidence from a doctor of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences. However, the court said that Goswami was not in the field of evidence collection. \u201cCan the media act as an appellate authority over what is stated in the chargesheet?\u201d it added.
Pushkar was found dead in a New Delhi hotel in January 2014. The police have charged Tharoor with abetting suicide. Tharoor had claimed the charges against him were \u201cpreposterous and baseless\u201d and a product of a \u201cmalicious and vindictive campaign\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In March last year, the Delhi High Court had rejected Goswami and Republic TV\u2019s petition that sought to quash a court\u2019s order to register a First Information Report against them. The January 21 magisterial court\u2019s order was based on a complaint filed by Tharoor in connection with his wife\u2019s death.<\/p>\n