HC bashes media; no more Nithyananda tape airing

Bangalore, Mar 1: Media gets a bash from Karnataka High Court as the court on Monday, Feb 28 strictly ordered all media houses not to air any Nithyananda video clips and tapes. The video purportedly showed a South Indian actress in a compromising position with the godman Swami Nithyananda.

The High Court was addressing a writ filed by South Indian actress Ranjitha. The actress claimed that the media has so far taken advantage of a lack of censorship to telecast the "digitally manipulated" content. She had also accused media of "crossing all borders of decency."

In her petition, Ranjitha has contended that in spite of her announcements that she was not the person involved with Nithyananda as seen in the video, various channels repeatedly telecast the video showing her name in it. Ranjitha, recently during a press conference, claimed that she was not the one in the video that showed Nithyananda along with a woman.

Citing Ranjitha's previous writ, the court had earlier on Aug 12, 2010 passed an interim stay on the media from broadcasting the video footage. Now, once again the court restrained the media, especially the electronic media from airing the video and images.

Justice BS Patel also issued notices to the home department, the director-general and inspector-general of police and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, News Broadcasting Standards Authority, and Press Council of India, besides media houses.

Ranjitha expressed her rage against media in handling the Nithyananda scandal. The electronic media has become the prime target of the South Indian actress' fury as she claimed, "The act of the electronic media is irresponsible and unwarranted."

OneIndia News