News channels restrained from showing content of charge sheet in Shraddha Walkar murder case

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar also directed the Centre to ensure that no news channel displays such material till the disposal of the petition filed by Delhi Police.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained all news channels from displaying or playing content of the charge sheet in the Shraddha Walkar murder case. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar also directed the Centre to ensure that no news channel displays such material till the disposal of the petition filed by Delhi Police.

The order was passed on a plea by the Delhi Police seeking to restrain media houses from publishing, printing, and disseminating confidential information contained in the charge sheet and other such materials collected during the course of the investigation in the case. Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad submitted that the Aaj Tak news channel has got access to the narco analysis video of accused Aaftab Poonawala and the channel was restrained by the trial court from showing any such content.

However, he said the order needs to be passed against all other channels also as the video might have been shared with others and if telecasted, it would prejudice the case. The high court listed the matter for further hearing on August 3. Poonawala is accused of strangling his live-in partner Walkar and chopping her body into pieces in Mehrauli here on May 18 last year. The Delhi Police had filed the 6,629-page charge sheet in the case on January 24.

Earlier, a Delhi court on Saturday reserved its order on framing charges against Poonawala, who killed his live-in partner and chopped her body into pieces. Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar posted the case on April 29. The arguments on the charges were completed in the Saket court on Saturday. (With agency inputs)