Court bars news channels using FIR material in Shraddha murder case

A court here restrained a television news channel on Monday from utilising in any form any material related to the FIR registered in the. According to the chargesheet filed in the case, accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala allegedly strangled his live-in partner, Walkar, on May 18 last year and sawed her body into several pieces, which he kept in a refrigerator for almost three weeks at his residence in south Delhi’s Mehrauli.
The link court of Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar Singh was hearing an application moved by the Delhi Police regarding issuing orders to “Aaj Tak” and other media channels not to telecast any material regarding the FIR in the case.
“However, since if an immediate order is not passed, the application itself will be rendered infructuous, this court is of the view that till the next date, the Aaj Tak news channel shall not utilise in any form any material related to the FIR. The matter be taken up on April 17 for a detailed hearing,” the judge said. When Article 21 of the Constitution protects the life and liberty of a person, it also contemplates the protection of the psychological state of mind of such a person. Any dissemination of sensitive information pertaining to a murder case will definitely result in psychological repercussions for the accused and also for the victim’s family, the court observed.
The judge said it was brought to the court’s notice that “Aaj Tak” is contemplating telecasting certain recordings or transcript of the narco-analysis test and from the Practo app, and the prosecution has claimed that it would not only be damaging for the case, but would also impact the accused and the victim’s family.