The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a special leave petition moved by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the Calcutta High Court order issuing curbs on the central probe agency and media organasations for publishing information about West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's newphew Abhishek Banejee's wife Rujira Banerjee.
A bench comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra told ED's that they are not inclined to entertain its plea as it is against an interim order of the high court.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju appearing for ED argued that it is virtually a final order as guidelines have been issued and ultimate relief has been granted. He prayed for a stay of the high court's guidelines.
However, the top court told ASG Raju that either they will dismiss the plea or the agency can withdraw it. Following which, the ASG withdrew the plea.
The high court had issued guidlines to ED for not disclosing to the public or media, before the filing of a chargesheet, the details of a probe related to any person, an accused, a suspect or witness insofar as Rujira Banerjee is concerned.
Rujira Banerjee had moved the high court against central probe agencies and the media for allegedly indulging in her character assassination and maligning her name by publishing information about the ongoing probe in alleged scams
In October 2023, the high court issued the said guidelines and asked the probe agencies and media outlets to strictly adhere.
The high court had said that investigating agencies in general, and the ED in particular, will not involve or be accompanied by mediapersons during any raid, interrogation, search-and-seizure procedure. It further said that they cannot disclose information of such raids, interrogations, searches and seizures beforehand.
The high court had also issued guidelines for mediaand said that it should ensure that the information disseminated is objective, accurate and can be corroborated by concrete materials and sources.