The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued an order restraining the media from publishing, airing or broadcasting any details about the chargesheet filed against actor Darshan Thoogudeepa in connection with a murder case, reported Bar and Bench.
The order will remain in place until the next hearing.
The direction was passed by Justice Hemant Chandangoudar on Darshan’s plea seeking to stop the spread of “confidential” material from the chargesheet, on the grounds that the matter was sub-judice.
Chandangoudar also directed the Centre to take appropriate action if any media outlet is found to be violating the order.
The Karnataka Police had filed a chargesheet against Thoogudeepa, his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 of his associates on September 4. While Gowda was named as the primary accused person, Thoogudeepa was listed as the second, reported The Indian Express.
All 17 accused persons are in prison for the murder of a 33-year-old man named Renukaswamy, who was a fan of the actor. Renukaswamy had allegedly been sending abusive messages and comments to Gowda.
“Despite the ex-parte ad-interim injunction granted on August 27 [on a plea filed by Gowda], the media channels continue to print, air, publish and disseminate the confidential information contained in the chargesheet,” the court said on Tuesday, according to LiveLaw.
An ex-parte order is one that is granted without first hearing the respondents in a case.
“Accordingly, the respondents…are hereby restrained from publishing, broadcasting, printing and disseminating confidential information contained in the chargesheet,” the court added.
On June 9, Renukaswamy’s body was recovered from a drain in the Summanahalli area of Bengaluru. Thoogudeepa was arrested on June 11 for the alleged murder.
The chargesheet was filed days after a Bengaluru court on August 27 allowed the police to shift Thoogudeepa to the Ballari district prison from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru after reports that he was being given preferential treatment in custody.
Nine central jail officials in Bengaluru were suspended after a photograph showing Thoogudeepa sitting on a prison lawn in the company of three other inmates was widely shared on social media.
The recording of a video call allegedly made by the actor from prison was also widely shared online, prompting the Prisons and Correctional Services Department to launch an investigation.
Three first information reports were filed in the matter, including one against Thoogudeepa.
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