Can’t restrain media in Dinakaran case: SC

May 27, 2011 |

Age Corespondent

New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its inability to restrain the media from reporting the inquiry proceedings of the impeachment probe committee against Sikkim high court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran, whose counsel made a plea for in-camera hearing by the probe panel.

Though acknowledging that media reporting on unsubstantiated allegations and subjudice matters might cause a “life-long” damage to the reputation of a person if the charges against him were later proved to be untrue, a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and C.K. Prasad told Justice Dinakaran’s counsel that in the modern day society there was no escape from it as the media dominance was a “new trend”.
Justice Dinakaran’s counsel B.P. Patil made a strong plea for in-camera hearing by the three-member inquiry committee stating that media reporting of its proceedings on daily basis has the “danger” of causing possible prejudice. However, the bench said it might not be a “dangerous trend but it is a new trend”.

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