National
Tharoor can’t be ‘compelled to speak’ on Pushkar death, HC tells Republic TV
New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Friday said that Republic TV news channel’s right to air stories on the death of Sunanda Pushkar cannot be curbed, but it has to be “tempered and balanced”, and that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cannot be “compelled to speak”.
The court also came down on the media, saying it cannot “convict anyone” or insinuate that someone is guilty or make any other “unsubstantiated claims”, while reporting on matters under investigation or pending trial.
Justice Manmohan directed that before airing any story pertaining to Tharoor, the news channel shall give him a written notice, by electronic mode, asking for his version.
“If the plaintiff (Tharoor) refuses or does not reply within a reasonable time, he will not be compelled to speak and the story will be aired with the disclosure that the plaintiff has refused to speak to the defendants (channel),” said the court.
The order came on three applications in a defamation suit filed by Tharoor claiming Rs 2 crore damages from journalist Arnab Goswami and his news channel Republic TV for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him with regard to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
The court said that “every individual/accused has a right to silence”.
Under the Indian Constitution, no person can be compelled to give testimony or answer questions which may incriminate him, said the court, adding, “Undoubtedly, an individual affected by the story must be given an option to give his version, but he cannot be compelled to speak, if he does not want to.”
The “culture of thrusting a microphone” in the face of a person needs to be deprecated, said Justice Manmohan.
“This Court is of the view that it is important that when criminal investigation has commenced, media reporting should be sensitive to the indeterminacy of the questions raised in the proceedings. Press cannot ‘convict anyone’ or insinuate that he/she is guilty or make any other unsubstantiated claims. Press has to exercise care and caution while reporting about matters under investigation or pending trial,” the order stated.
Republic TV had aired what it called an expose in the death of Pushkar, playing tapes of a conversation between a reporter and Tharoor’s assistant Narayan on the night of Pushkar’s death. Pushkar was found dead in a five-star hotel in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
On May 29 this year, the court had said that the journalist and his channel can air stories by stating the facts related to the investigation into the death of Pushkar, but cannot call him a “criminal”.
“You cannot call him names. Bring down the rhetoric,” it had told the journalist and channel.
Tharoor in his defamation suit had said that on May 6, when the channel was launched, it has been airing 3-5 hours long news shows every day entirely on the case of Pushkar’s death and making defamatory statements against him.
Tharoor, in his suit, had said he has suffered humiliation and severe loss of reputation in the eyes of the public.
The plea said that Tharoor has been baselessly declared by the channel as the alleged murderer of his late wife, and sought a permanent injunction against the channel from reporting or broadcasting any news regarding Pushkar’s death until investigations are complete.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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