High Court Seeks Centre's Stand On Rakul Preet's Plea Against Media Reports Connecting Her To Rhea Chakraborty Drug Case

Rakul Preet cited the Programme Code and MIB guidelines to argue that media can't run hate campaigns.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the Centre on actor Rakul Preet Singh's plea to stop media reports from connecting her with the Rhea Chakraborty drug case. Justice Navin Chawla issued notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prasar Bharti and the Press Council of India, seeking their stand on the actor's petition.

HC seeks Centre's stand on actor Rakul Preet Singh's plea to stop broadcast of programs connecting her with Rhea Chakraborty drug case

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Rakul Preet Singh, whose name recently surfaced in drugs-related matter in the on-going Sushant Singh Rajput death probe, had approached the Delhi High Court seeking direction to be issued to Ministry of Information & Broadcast to stop the media barrage against her. The court also asked the authorities to treat her plea as a representation and take a decision on it before the next date of hearing on October 15. It also expressed hope that "media houses would show restraint in their reports and would abide by the cable TV regulations, program code and various guidelines, statutory and self regulatory, while making any reports with regard to the petitioner" (Rakul Preet). The actor, represented by advocate Aman Hingorani, has claimed in her plea that Rhea Chakraborty had already retracted the statement in which she was allegedly named and yet the media reports were connecting her to the case. Rakul Preet cited the Programme Code and MIB guidelines to argue that media can't run hate campaigns. “I got to know during a shoot that Rhea Chakraborty has named me and Sara Ali Khan for taking drugs, and the media started running a campaign against me,” she said. She asked the court to de-register the channel for the slandering without knowing that Chakraborty retracted her statement. “They're showing my morphed pictures and pictures from film sets to paint a narrative, to hound me, and link me to some sort of a drug gang. Media is harassing me; they're coming to my house. Please issue ad-interim direction to stop broadcasting of maligning and defamatory content against me. Media trials violate my right under Art 21 of the Constitution, court must interfere,” she argued. With inputs from PTI