Actor Dileep has moved the Special Court trying the female actor rape case, against the "illegal act of publishing matters in relation to the in-camera proceedings in the case."
He contended that the publication of the matter was calculated to injure his reputation and violate his fundamental right to fair trial.
Mr. Dileep has arraigned 10 media houses including The Hindu as respondents in the case, who according to him, have caused the publication of the objectionable news items violating an earlier order of the court regarding the reporting of in-camera proceedings in the case.
Seeks directives
He sought directives to the investigating officer in the case to submit a report regarding the violation of the court order and the action taken against the violators. He has also sought to issue notices to the media houses to take appropriate and stringent action for violating the court order.
On September 9, a copy of the petition filed by the prosecution for withdrawing the bail granted to the actor was served to the counsel for the petitioner. The contents of the petition, he said, were false, baseless and defamatory statements.
He alleged that the prosecution and the investigating agency deliberately leaked the false and baseless contents of the petition to media to cause serious prejudice to the petitioner to make it appear that he has done the act alleged in the petition.
Dileep’s contention
A person who reads the news item or hears and watches the electronic media will conclude that the petitioner has done the illegal act of threatening the witnesses, he submitted.
As the law prohibits the publication of the matters in relation to the in-camera proceedings and there is a specific direction from the court not to publish any matter in relation to the case, he submitted, the statement of objection filed on behalf of the petitioner will not be published in media.
As result, only the false and baseless allegations levelled by the prosecution will be available, in public domain, which will occasion grave miscarriage of justice. The public who comes across such news containing false and baseless allegations will believe it to be true, especially when there is the absence of publication of explanation from the person whom the allegations are made, he submitted.
Counsel confirms
Confirming the developments, B. Raman Pillai, the counsel for Dileep, told The Hindu that the trial court had prohibited the publishing of the court proceedings in the case.
The proceedings in the case cannot be discussed or published and only those orders written in the order sheet by the court can be published. The publication of the news violates the court order. Hence the petition, he added.
