HC pulls up media house for publishing photo, ‘speculative stories’ on Pachauri

Pachauri’s lawyers had filed the contempt of court application last week.

R K Pachauri

The Delhi High Court Thursday pulled up a media house for “deliberately disobeying” its injunction against publishing opinions or “speculative stories” against former TERI chief RK Pachauri, who is facing charges of sexual harassment. The court said the media house in question had “prima facie” violated court orders prohibiting publication of stories related to the allegations against Pachauri.

Pachauri’s lawyers had filed the contempt of court application last week, alleging that seven media houses had aired interviews of the alleged victim and “source-based” articles, which were not based on the actual chargesheet filed by police or any court documents.

During arguments, Justice J R Midha commented that there was “no justification” for publishing Pachauri’s photograph. “Photograph (of Pachauri) was published in the newspaper in spite of the court’s order. Once a court has restrained you (newspaper) from publishing, where is the justification to publish it… Is it not contemptuous?”

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Advocate Ashish Dixit, who appeared for Pachauri, told the bench when the newspaper published the report and photograph, the chargesheet had not been filed against him.

“Prima facie, I am inclined to issue notice as there is no justification for publishing such photograph. Prima facie, they have violated the order,” the judge said. However, after a counsel for one of the media houses raised a legal issue before the bench on the petition, Pachauri’s counsel sought time. The bench fixed the matter for hearing on March 11.

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