Cruise ship drug case: HC refuses relief to Delhi-based businessman alleging media campaign

The Delhi High Court has refused to grant any interim relief on the plea of Delhi-based businessman Arjun Jain seeking stay on broadcasting his name by a private news channel in the cruise ship drug case.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has refused to grant any interim relief on the plea of Delhi-based businessman Arjun Jain seeking stay on broadcasting his name by a private news channel in the cruise ship drug case.

Justice Rekha Palli, hearing the petition by Arjun Jain -- an entrepreneur in the field of entertainment and event management -- nonetheless asked the news channel to strictly abide by the existing guidelines in relation to responsible reporting.

In a petition, Arjun said, "I have not received any summons from the Narcotics Control Bureau, but the concerned news channel is broadcasting news that I was involved in the cruise ship drug case."

The court opined that before any interim order is passed, it would examine the guidelines on news reporting by the Centre and News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA).

Lawyer Adit S Pujari, representing the petitioner, submitted that the news channel was maligning his client's reputation by suggesting that he was involved in the event leading to the raid by the NCB.

Read: Cruise ship drug case: four accused sent in NCB custody

He stated that the news items claimed that he was the mastermind who organized the party and thus prayed that all such defamatory links be taken down.

Advocate Hrishikesh Baruah, appearing for the news channel, argued that the petitioner had not come to court with clean hands as he concealed that he used to be associated with M/s Namascray Experience Pvt Ltd, one of the alleged organizers of the cruise.

He also said that news reports either stated the facts or the information received from sources.

It informed that the petitioner was a mere shareholder possessing 50 percent shares in M/s Whitefox Pvt. Ltd which is an entity having 30 per cent shares in Namascray.

The matter would be heard next on January 31.

Read: Drug case: Delhi's event manager moves HC to restrain news channel from broadcasting his name