News channels restrained from showing content of charge sheet in Shraddha Walkar murder case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court Wednesday observed telecast of the recording of narco analysis conducted on Aaftab Amin Poonawala, the sole accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder, will prejudice the case and restrained all news channels from displaying or playing content of the charge sheet filed in the matter.
The high court also directed the Centre to ensure that no news channel displays such material till disposal of the petition filed by the Delhi Police.
The order was passed on a plea by the Delhi Police for restraining media houses from publishing, printing and disseminating confidential information contained in the charge sheet and other such material collected during the course of investigation.
"This is really very, very strange. What purpose will be served by showing or telecasting this narco analysis test on television? This will definitely prejudice the case," Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said orally.
Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, appearing for police, said it is obviously for TRP (television rating points) and added that airing of such content may lead to law and order problem.
He submitted that Aaj Tak news channel has got access to a video of the narco analysis of the accused and it was restrained by the trial court from showing it or any such content till April 20.
However, he said, an order needs to be passed against all other channels also as the video might have been shared with others and, if telecast, it would prejudice the right of the accused to fair trial.
The high court also issued notices to and sought the response of the Centre, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Aaj Tak news channel and Poonawala on the Delhi police's petition and listed it for further hearing on August 3.
"No media channel having access to this material shall display or play this material on their channel. In the meanwhile, Union of India shall ensure that no such material is displayed or played on any channel in whatsoever manner," Justice Bhatnagar said.
As the judge sought to know how the video reached the news channel, Prasad said it was leaked and, if the journalist concerned makes copies of the footage and distributes them further, then there will be no control.
The prosecutor claimed the video footage was not provided to the journalist either by police or anyone from the side of the accused. He said an FIR needs to be registered to investigate as to how the sensitive content got leaked.
He said since the authorities are not aware about which other channels have access to the video, a direction be issued to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to issue instructions or guidelines to news channels not to display such material till the disposal of the petition.
Poonawala is accused of strangling his live-in partner Walkar and chopping her body into pieces in Mehrauli here on May 18 last year. He stuffed the body parts into a refrigerator before scattering them across multiple places in the national capital over several days to avoid detection.
The Delhi Police had filed a 6,629-page charge sheet in the case on January 24.
The Delhi Police had earlier filed an application before the trial court seeking direction for restraining Aaj Tak news channel from utilising in any form the material related to the charge sheet.
The court had then taken on record an undertaking by the counsel for the news channel stating it will not telecast, publish or disseminate the contents of the Psychological Assessment and Voice layered test, narco analysis and conversation recorded on the App of Dr Practo till April 20.
The Delhi police has also sought direction to Aaj Tak to ensure digital evidence procured by it through "unauthorised means" is submitted before the court.
"The media houses have no vested right to use the material of investigation inasmuch as the charge sheet is not a public document and is not to be used for the purpose of advancing its business to the detriment of larger public interest of affording fair trial to the accused. Hence, the trial court should have completely restrained the respondent no. 2 from using any part of the charge sheet," the plea said.
It said the right to fair trial includes right to be tried in an atmosphere free from prejudice or else the trial itself may be vitiated on this ground alone causing irreparable, irreversible and incalculable harm and damage to criminal justice delivery system.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
