Bengaluru Court Restrains Media From Making Defamatory Statements Against Actress Ranya Rao Arrested In Gold Smuggling Case
Mustafa Plumber
13 March 2025 5:58 AM
A court in Bengaluru has passed an ex-parte temporary injunction restraining media from making, uttering, speaking, writing, publishing, relaying, telecasting, or defamatory any statements or allegations against Harshavardini Ranya Rao, who has been arrested in connection with a gold smuggling case.
The court passed the order while hearing a suit filed by Rao's mother, H P Rohini. It said, “The defendants are hereby restrained from making, uttering, speaking, writing, publishing, relaying, telecasting or defamatory any statements or allegations against the plaintiff's daughter Harshavardini Ranya Rao. This order shall remain in force till the next date of hearing, June 2.”
Senior Advocate Vikram Huilgol appearing for the plaintiff contended that in the guise of fair journalism, the defendant media houses are telecasting/ publishing news which are derogatory and defamatory, in order to increase their TRP and thereby are holding media trial and are violating the right of fair trial to the accused enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Further, it was said that under the guise of fair journalism, the defendants have used misleading headlines and exaggerated narratives to create a false perception, which harms the personal integrity of the daughter of the plaintiff. Instead of adhering to journalistic ethics, they have misused their platforms and are engaged in an unethical media trial and hence sought to restrain the defendants by way of an exparte ad-interim temporary injunction order from telecasting defamatory comments against the daughter of the plaintiff.
On going through the averments and the judgments relied on by the plaintiff the court said “The copies of the news articles placed on record, shows the defendants are telecasting/ publishing news about the ongoing investigation and are holding media trials which is an utter disregard to the guidelines issued by Hon'ble Courts and are interfering with the administration of justice.”
Further it said, “Hence in order to avoid the press/ media from holding media trials it is considered just and necessary to meet out the apprehension pleaded by the plaintiff by issuing an order of temporary injunction. Thus, this Court is of opinion that the plaintiff has made out a prima facie case and the balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff and if the order of temporary injunction is not granted the right of fair trial to the accused enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution will be violated.”
It added “In order to avoid the press/ media from holding media trials it is considered just and necessary to meet out the apprehension pleaded by the plaintiff by issuing an order of temporary injunction."
Meanwhile, the actors father K Ramchandra Rao approached the High Court seeking a restrain order. Advocate Sudarshan Suresh Appeared for him and after hearing arguments, single judge, Justice H T Narendra Prasand had on March 10, by way of ad-interim ex-parte temporary injunction restraining the media from telecasting or publishing or disseminating any content that is defamatory to the petitioner.
Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore were seized from Ranya at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. A subsequent search of her home had yielded gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to ₹2.67 crore. She is presently in Judicial custody and a sessions court is likely to pronounce on Friday, its order on the bail application filed by her.
Recently her husband Jatin Hukkeri had moved the Karnataka High Court seeking protection from arrest. The court has by way of interim order directed the DRI not to take any coercive steps against him.