No Sigh of relief to Shilpa Shetty, HC says can't restrain media

Update: 2021-07-31 08:28 GMT
The other day, actress Shilpa Shetty moved the Bombay High Court to file a defamation case against a few media channels and personnel on the grounds of sharing fake news.

However, the High Court gave a shock to Shilpa Shetty saying that the Court can't restrain the media outlets from publishing the news about Shilpa and Raj Kundra.

Justice Gautam Patel opined that the directives sought by Shilpa Shetty will have a big impact on the freedom of the press and it can direct the media outlets.

Talking about reporting the incident, the High Court said reporting news taking information on what Police said cannot be considered defamatory.

Finding fault with a few media outlets carrying reports claiming that she broke down when the Mumbai Police brought Raj Kundra to their residence to search.

The advocate who represented Shilpa Shetty in the case told the court that the issue happened between a couple and reportage of such news is not acceptable.

To this, the Justice said that Shilpa Shetty broke down in front of the cops, who came to search the house. The information reached the media through the Crime Branch officials. These articles cannot be termed defamatory, the Justice added.

Saying that Shilpa Shetty is a public figure the High Court said her life will be seen through a microscope. The reports claiming Shilpa Shetty broke down don't come under defamation. It is an indication that Shilpa Shetty is a human.

The High Court said such restrictions cannot be issued to the media channels as it goes against the freedom of speech.

Shilpa Shetty in her petition sought directives from the High Court to restrain the media channels and social media from publishing false news against her and Raj Kundra.

Businessman Raj Kundra was arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with a racket that is involved in filming and publishing obscene content.

The Mumbai Police argue that Raj Kundra is the key conspirator behind the racket and the adult content that was shot is sent to a UK-based company that uploads the content in specific apps. Raj Kundra is also accused of earning money through the content.
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