[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE Delhi High Court today dismissed a public interest petition seeking to gag the media from reporting on the sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi.
The bench headed by Chief justice Rajendra Menon observed that as the Supreme Court was seized of the matter, the High Court could not interfere.
Background of the Case
A writ petition was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking to prohibit the casting and recasting of news relating to the sexual harassment allegations made by a former employee of the Supreme Court of India against CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
Filed by an organisation called the Anti-Corruption Council of India, the public interest petition sought to immediately restrict media and news channels from further telecasting, publishing and republishing “defamatory news against the CJI” unless the allegations are proved by the enquiry panel, headed by Justice S A Bobde.
The petitioner had sought “an appropriate writ/order/directions against respondents restraining them from publishing, telecasting in print media or electronic media via internet, newspaper and various programmes in respect of the allegations against Hon’ble Chief Justice of India till final conclusion of the enquiry”.
