Aarushi murder: Court to hear father’s plea on media curbs

NEW DELHI - An application filed by Rajesh Talwar, father of teenager Aarushi who was murdered along with her family’s domestic help in 2008, seeking to restrain the media from indulging in reckless reporting on the case will be heard Aug 9, the Supreme Court said Thursday.

Talwar, a doctor by profession, told the court that despite the July 22, 2008 directions of the court, both print and electronic media were “obdurately and disdainfully continuing with their reckless ‘whodunit’ speculative reportage”.

Senior counsel Pinaki Mishra appearing for Talwar told the court that in the last two months the media had been saying a lot of things about the dead child and also him and his wife.

The bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice A.K. Pathak asked him to “cool down” and listed the matter for hearing Aug 9.

On July 22, 2008, the apex court in its order said: “…Both press and electronic media should exercise caution in publishing any news regarding the case in question, which may have the effect of prejudicing the defence of the accused or from damaging the reputation of any person connected with the case.”

Talwar’s application said that despite the said order, the media was running reports on “irresponsible and uninformed conspiracy theories” which was prejudicing the conduct of the ongoing investigation.

The conduct of media was in complete disregard of the “respect and reputation” of the persons and families connected with the case, the application said.

The application said that in view of the potential implications, it is imperative that the electronic media and the press were restrained from reporting information which was likely to prejudice the case or breach the right to privacy of the applicant and his family.

Aarushi was found murdered in Talwar’s Noida house May 18, 2008 and the next day the body of their domestic help Hemraj was also found.