HC reserves order on plea of Ex-SC judge to restrain media

The Delhi High Court today reserved its interim order on a plea of former Supreme Court judge Swatanter Kumar seeking to restrain media from reporting alleged sexual harassment case, saying only court proceedings can be reported.
Justice Kumar, chairman of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has demanded Rs five crore as damages from the law intern, who made the allegation against him, and three media groups that publicized her complaint.
"I will pronounce the order at 10.30 am tomorrow. In the meantime, you (media) can report the court proceedings. Nothing more, nothing less," Justice Manmohan Singh said after hearing nearly 90-minute-long arguments of the counsel for Justice Kumar and two media houses.

A battery of senior lawyers led by Mukul Rohatgi for Justice Kumar started the submissions with the claim that the complaint has surfaced after two-and-a-half years and is "baseless, fraudulent and motivated".
The petition has sought an interim order to restrain two English news channels, a leading English daily, which had run the news on January 10 and later dates, the law intern in particular and the rest of the media in general from publicizing the case.
"Pass a decree for permanent injunction restraining the defendant no -1 to 5 (media houses and the intern) .... From publishing, republishing, carrying out any reports or articles or telecast or repeat telecast or programme or debates or any discussion or reporting or publicizing in any other manner... pertaining to the purported complaint dated November 30, 2013 or any mater incidental thereto or any other matter related to the said complaint except the publication or news of the exact judicial order, if any, passed by the courts," the plea said.

The petition also said, "pass a decree for damages in favour of the plaintiff and against defendant no- 1 to 5 jointly and severally at least for an amount of Rs five crores only or for any higher amounts as this court may be pleased to determine...".