The Kerala High Court on Friday restrained the media, including online portals, from discussing the merit of the bar bribery case against former Finance Minister K.M. Mani until the next posting date of the case before the High Court.
The court passed the order while expressing its displeasure over the reporting of the alleged contents of a report on the progress of the investigation into the case.
The progress report was submitted in a sealed cover in the High Court a couple of days ago.
The court asked the senior government pleader appearing for the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) how the contents of the report submitted before the court in a sealed cover had appeared in the media. The government pleader told the court that the contents published by certain media were not the same as that of the report.
Sub judice
It was brought to the notice of the court by counsel for Mr. Mani that the publication of the contents amounted to contempt of court as the matter was already sub judice.
The court directed that since the case was pending before the court no discussion by any media, visual, print or online, shall be held on the merit of the case.
