Decide in 2 weeks complaint against media house on Palghar lynching show: HC to Centre

Justice Navin Chawla directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to consider the petitioner's complaint of May 5 and take a decision on it within two weeks. With the direction, the court disposed of the plea by a lawyer -- Amrish Ranjan Pandey -- who alleged that the shows aired on the incident by the media house "tried to promote communal attitudes in the country".

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to take a decision within two weeks on the complaint against a media house for broadcasting shows related to the 'Palghar mob lynching' in Maharashtra on April 16. Justice Navin Chawla directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to consider the petitioner's complaint of May 5 and take a decision on it within two weeks.

With the direction, the court disposed of the plea by a lawyer -- Amrish Ranjan Pandey -- who alleged that the shows aired on the incident by the media house "tried to promote communal attitudes in the country". "The shows were offensive against good taste or decency. It was intended to encourage or incite violence," the petition claimed.

Pandey, represented by advocate KC Mittal, also alleged that migrant gatherings at Bandra in Mumbai were given the tag of a conspiracy in another program by the same media house. The petition, filed through advocate Joby P Varghese, contended that the shows/programs on these incidents were in absolute violation of the rules of Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Regulations and also the Uplinking and Downlinking guidelines issued by the ministry.

It further contended that despite the alleged violations, no action taken by the ministry. The ministry also did not take any action to date on the May 5 complaint by Pandey seeking cancellation of the license of the media house, the petition claimed.

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