Sister Sephy’s brother files petition against TV channels and papers

A petition seeking contempt action against various Malayalam television channels and newspapers, which telecasted and published contents of narco analysis CDs of the three accused in the Sister Abhaya case, was filed in a court here.

The petition by Mathew, brother of Sister Sephy, the third accused in the case, came up before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Ernakulam, K. A. Baby.

The petition, along with sister Sephy’s petition, also seeking contempt action against TV channels and newspapers which telecasted and published the contents of the 3 CDs, has been posted to October 5.

The petitioners contended that the act of the respondents in telecasting and publishing the contents of the CDs were “calculated to obstruct and to interfere with the due course of justice and the lawful process of court, amounting to contempt of court.”

They also urged the court to summon extracts of telecast and publications and conduct an enquiry, as provided under Rule 8 of the Contempt of Court Rules and take necessary steps to refer the matter to the High Court to initiate Criminal Contempt of court against the respondents.

There are 17 respondents in this case, including Editors and Directors of the channels.

According to the petitioner, the respondents had telecast and published the narco analysis CD contents on Sept 14 and 15 despite an order of court prohibiting the same. The channels also held panel discussions involving lawyers, jurists and writers.

This was in ‘total disobedience’ of the order passed by the court. ‘After coming to know of this order, they have intentionally, wilfully, deliberately and knowingly flouted the order of the court and thereby interfered with the course of justice,’ it was submitted.

This has caused ‘interference and obstruction in the administration of justice and denies the accused to have fair, proper and uninfluenced trial’

The extracts of the narco CDs of the accused have been uploaded in the websites of the respondents and were now being viewed by public around the world, the petition said.

The act of the respondents to ‘fasten the guilt on the accused and to prejudice fair trial of the case was ’calculated to obstruct or interfere with the due course of justice or the lawful process of court and it amounts to contempt of court.’