Supreme Court Declines Review of Dharamsthala Gag Order

The Supreme Court has declined to hear a petition challenging a gag order that restricted media from reporting on issues related to the Dharmasthala burial case involving Dharamadhikari D Veerendra Heggade's brother. The order affected 390 media houses, directing them to remove content deemed defamatory by a local court.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea challenging a comprehensive gag order restraining media coverage on matters concerning Dharamadhikari D Veerendra Heggade's brother in Karnataka.

The case involves a local court's order mandating nearly 9,000 media links and stories to be removed due to allegedly defamatory content related to the Dharmasthala burial incident.

Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi advised petitioners to approach the high court first, following a defamation suit by Harshendra Kumar, who argues there's no FIR implicating him or temple authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)