Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday said the media has become “extremely polarized” and changed over time, while journalists used to be “neutral” in the past. Hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging “media trial” in the reporting of the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the court also said that it was not a matter of control but of balancing the work.
During the hearing, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, told the High Court that it had not leaked any information related to the case to the media. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the CBI, said that no information was leaked by the Enforcement Directorate and the Swapak Control Bureau, which was probing cases related to the actor’s death in June. He said that all the three central agencies had filed affidavits in the court stating that they had not leaked any information related to the probe.
“We are aware of our responsibilities and there is no question of any agency leaking information,” Singh said. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice GS Kulkarni was hearing the PILs. In these petitions, the media has been requested to be instructed to exercise restraint in the coverage related to the investigation of the actor’s death case. “The media was then (in the past) neutral,” the bench said. The media is now highly “polarized” – and it is a question of balancing work, not control. People forget where to draw the lines. Do it within the limits. ” The court said, “If you want to criticize the government, do it. The point is that someone has died and there are allegations that you are interfering. ” The hearing will continue next week.
Earlier in the hearing, the petitioners had claimed that news channels were broadcasting sensitive information. These petitioners also include a group of retired police officers. The petitioners had asked how the channels were getting such information. He had alleged that the investigating agencies may have been his source. The Central Government, National Broadcasting Standards Authority and news channels, which have been made parties in the case, told the High Court that electronic media has a self-regulatory mechanism.
