Shraddha Walkar Murder Case: News Channels Restrained From Showing Content Of Charge Sheet

The Delhi High Court today has restrained all the news channels from showing/displaying material of chargesheet in relation to the Shraddha Walkar murder case.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar issued notice on the plea moved by the Delhi Police seeking to restrain a news channel from displaying contents of chargesheet collected by it to date.

Also, the court directed the Union of India to ensure that no channel having access to the material displays it, till disposal of the plea. The matter is now listed for hearing on August 3.

Aaftab Poonawalla allegedly killed his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar in May last year. It has been alleged that Aaftab allegedly chopped her body into 35 pieces and disposed of those pieces in batches in the forests of Delhi.

The Delhi Police approached the High Court after the trial court granted liberty to approach a higher forum for seeking relief while restraining only a news channel from displaying contents of the charge sheet, including the recordings or transcript of narco analysis of the accused, recorded during the investigation.

During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad appeared for Delhi Police submitted that the news channel has been restrained by the trial court from showing the content in question.
However, he requested that an order be passed against other news channels as broadcasting the content would prejudice the prosecution’s case.

While restraining a news channel, the trial court observed that any dissemination of sensitive information pertaining to a murder case will definitely result in “psychological repercussions” for the accused and also for the victim’s family.

The court stated that “When the Article 21 of the Constitution protects the life and liberty of a person, it also contemplates a protection of the psychological state of mind of such person.”

The trial court ordered a news channel “shall not utilize in any form any material” related to the FIR till April 17, which was extended till April 20.