Shraddha murder: Court disposes of Delhi Police plea after restraining order from HC

New Delhi: Saket court on Thursday disposed of a plea of Delhi police in view of an order from the Delhi High Court restraining all media channels from displaying or telecasting the material of the chargesheet filed in the Shraddha murder case.

Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar disposed of the plea saying the high court is seized of the matter and, therefore, this court doesn't have jurisdiction to deal with it. On Wednesday, Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar passed an order restraining all media channels from displaying/telecasting the material contained in the charge sheet including the Narco Analysis video, CCTV footage and recording of the Practo app.

Delhi police had approached the high court seeking a restraining order against all media channels.
Earlier, on Monday, the trial court had restrained a news channel from utilising in any form, any material related to the Shraddha murder case for the next three days till April 20.

The trial court has suggested that the Delhi Police may approach a higher court to avail the remedy for seeking to restrain all media channels from using the material part of the case's chargesheet.

"...Instructions to state on behalf of news channel.... that the said channel shall not telecast/publish/disseminate the contents of the psychological assessment and voice layer test, narco analysis test and conversation recorded on Dr Practo App for the next three days, till April 20, " the trial court had said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police is at liberty to approach the constitutional or higher court to exercise their remedy, the court said.
The Saket court on April 10 restrained a media house from publishing, printing or disseminating the content of a chargesheet, including digital evidence, in the Shraddha murder case. The court had also issued notice to the channel.
Delhi police had approached the court on credible information that a media house had accessed the audio-video evidence related to the Narco and Practo app and was likely to disseminate the same at a special programme.

The special public prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad submitted before the court that it had ample power to pass an order restraining the media house from publishing/printing or disseminating the content of the charge sheet as it's not a public document.
The counsel for the news channels opposed the plea arguing that the court doesn't have the jurisdiction to pass a restraining order. (ANI)