Stop `Media Trial'' in Sushant Singh Rajput Case, petition urges High Court

A petition filed in the Bombay High Court has sought a direction to news channels and others to "postpone" the "media trial" in actor Sushant Singh Rajput''s suicide, saying it could hamper the probe.

The plea, filed on Wednesday, is yet to be taken up for hearing by the high court.

Petitioners Nilesh Navlakha and two others demanded directions to news channels to limit their coverage of the case and the probe.

The ongoing sensational reportage on the issue might hamper the probe being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), it said.

Since June 14, the day Rajput allegedly committed suicide, "several prominent media channels have been conducting media trials" and "parallel proceedings", the petition said.

TV channels and other media outlets have "proceeded to already convict" the accused named in the FIR, it said.

Such parallel investigation goes against the Supreme Court''s past rulings and basic principles of law, the petition said.

The high court should ask the media to "postpone reporting....debates, discussions of any kind tantamount to media trial...that will directly or indirectly hamper the investigation in the case", the plea said.

The petitioners have made several news channels party to the litigation.

They had filed complaints with the Union government authorities against some TV channels, but were yet to get a response, the petitioners said.

The CBI is conducting probe into a complaint of abetment of suicide filed by Rajput''s father against actor Rhea Chakraborty, her family members and others.

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