SC cautions media on Arushi murder case reporting

The Supreme Court today asked the media to be cautious in covering the murder probe of teenager Aarushi Talwar and her family’s domestic help Hemraj to ensure that the reputation of the suspects in the case is not tarnished. A bench of Mr Justice Altmas Kabir and Mr Justice Markandey Katju asked the media to observe caution during a hearing on a PIL that has questioned the coverage of the high-profile murder case. In the probe, the character of the victim’s parents was questioned, especially of Aarushi’s father Mr Rajesh Talwar who was arrested as the main accused. The bench, however, adjourned the hearing to 18 August, while issuing an interim order that “the print and electronic media must observe caution while reporting the case in question and not to prejudice the reputation of those involved in the case”. In his petition, the petitioner has also made various media houses and government agencies, including the information and broadcasting ministry, law ministry, home ministry and Noida Police parties to the case, seeking their version on ways to ensure that the media acts responsibly in covering such cases. Aarushi was found murdered in her parents’ Jalvayu Vihar apartment in Noida on 16 May. The Noida police immediately named Hemraj as the prime suspect but retracted the next day when his body was found on the roof of the apartment. Besides the Union home ministry, ministry of law and justice, I&B ministry, CBI, and the UP Police, the PIL has arrayed media organisations, including newspapers and TV channels, as respondents before the court. The petition alleged that the media had maligned the sacred father-daughter relations by “irresponsibly” reporting the incident. The petitioner also sought a direction for setting up a five-judge “criminal justice system reforms committee” to inquire as to “why an innocent person was allowed to rot in police custody for 50 days because of bungling and mishandling” by investigation agencies. He wanted the proposed committee to fix responsibility on officers responsible for mishandling the case and maligning the reputation of the Talwars and their family friends Durranis. The petition submitted that the media and the investigating agency had indulged in character assassination of the dead girl.
SNS & PTI
New Delhi, July 22:
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