Delhi Based Event Organizer Approaches Delhi High Court Over Media Reports On His Alleged Involvement In Cruise Ship Drug Case

In another development in relation to Cruise Ship drug case, a Delhi based event organizer Arjun Jain has moved the Delhi High Court aggrieved by certain media reports from India Today tv channel over his alleged involvement in the case despite no summons issued to him by Narcotics Control Bureau.

While posting the matter for hearing tomorrow, Justice Rekha Palli took on record assurance made by Advocate Hrishikesh Baruah appearing for the news channel that it will not publish anything about him in respect of the events that happened in the past till tomorrow.

During the course of hearing, Advocate Adit S Pujari appearing for the petitioner submitted that even though Jain had not been contacted or issued summons by the NCB, certain media persons had approached his house in order to take his interview and statements of his family members.

"It's one thing for me to be an accused, then also I have my legal rights. But here I'm not even the accused," Pujari submitted.

"I'm not responsible for the event. A lot has to be said about this. They announced me as an absconder. In a situation like this, where do we go? There has to be done something about this. We can't keep running to Courts in such matters. Right from Devangana Kalita, Disha Ravi to Sushant Singh Rajput's case, we can't keep having this over and over," he added.

Advocate Nisha Bhambhani appearing for News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority submitted that there are guidelines in place with regards to media trial and privacy to deal with such issues and that body can only deal with the complaints coming to it.

"The NBSA members look at the complaint and decide. This complaint only came to us last evening. We have no power to stop, we just have the power to adjudicate and take suo moto action. We can't pre censor anything," Bhambhani submitted.

Advocate Baruah appearing for the news channel said that the petition deserved to be dismissed and that if the petitioner is making allegations with respect to defamation, a suit should have been filed in place of a writ petition under Art. 226.

On this, Justice Palli orally remarked thus:

"But as a responsible channel, what are you going to do? Are you only going to sensationalize?"

Responding to this, Baruah submitted that the channel has done fair reporting as only facts were published by it. Placing reliance on Jain's instagram profile, he further submitted that he himself has claimed to be the co founder of namascray company.

"This issue cannot go on like this. Everyone will say anything under the sun," Justice Palli said.

On this, Baruah responded that while the TV channel asked for his comment, he refused to give any statement and that he himself stated in the petition that he was present in the party. 

After hearing the parties, the Court ordered thus:

"It appears that before any effective order may be passed, the matter needs to be heard in some more detail. List tomorrow. Counsel appearing for Respondent no. 3 assures Court that till the matter is taken up tomorrow, respondent no 3 will not publish any information about the petitioner in respect of events that happened in the past."

On October 2, the NCB allegedly seized 13 grams of cocaine (intermediate quantity), 5 grams of MD (mephedrone) (intermediate quantity), 21 grams of charas (small quantity), 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) (intermediate quantity) and Rs 1,33,000 at International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai.

The NCB has so far booked 12 people in the case including Aryan Khan - son of actor Shahrukh Khan for offences under the NDPS Act.

Khan, who was not found in possession of contraband, is accused of consumption under sections 8(c) read with sections 20b, 27, 28, 29 and 35 under the NDPS Act.

So far 12 people have been remanded to NCB's custody. Aryan Khan and 7 others were sent to NCB's custody, till October 7.

Title: Arjun Jain v. News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority & Ors.