Supreme Court Stays Karnataka HC Order Against Power TV Amid Allegations of Political Vendetta

The Supreme Court stayed the Karnataka High Court's order that restricted Power TV from broadcasting, noting the case seemed to be driven by political vendetta. The court, protecting freedom of speech, allowed the news channel to continue airing allegations of political sex scandals. The Centre issued a show-cause notice to the channel.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Karnataka High Court's order restricting the broadcast of Kannada news channel Power TV, citing signs of 'sheer political vendetta'.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed that the case appeared aimed at silencing the news channel's allegations of sex scandals involving state political figures.

While issuing notices to the Centre and others on the plea of M/s Power Smart Media Pvt Ltd, the bench stayed the high court's order until Monday, highlighting their commitment to protecting freedom of speech and expression by permitting the channel to continue its broadcasts.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that the case involved unauthorized licensing issues. The bench, however, was inclined to see the matter as political vendetta, asserting the channel's right to air contentious content.

The controversy began with Power TV's reports on sex scandals linked to JD(S) leaders, leading to a division and single bench order to stop their broadcasts. The Centre’s subsequent show-cause notice regarding the channel’s licence further complicated matters.