Media Reports On Shilpa Shetty's Children Are Of Concern : Bombay High Court On Raj Kundra Case Coverage

Justice Gautam Patel was hearing a defamation suit filed by Shetty against various media houses for sensationalism to increase their readership and free-ride on her popularity after Kundra's arrest.

On Monday, a Metropolitan Magistrate granted Kundra and his associate bail in the case.

In July, the court had refused to pass a blanket gag on the media. It had explicitly said that none of the publications should be involved with the publication of Shetty as a parent to minor children.

It had ordered Capital TV to take down their video. Heena Kumawat from Film Window and Shivkant Gautam of Shudh Manoranjan were directed not to re-upload their videos.

On Monday, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud for Shetty submitted that they were in discussions with most media portals who are defendants in the suit. They have agreed to remove the objectionable content, he said.

Justice Patel asked Shetty to segregate the defendants into two categories of private vloggers and bloggers and traditional media outlets.

Before posting the matter for hearing on October 1, Justice Patel observed.

"Traditional media will understand the rationale and competent advice. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about these private vloggers and bloggers," he said.

"I am not concerned about Shilpa Shetty…she will handle herself. I am more concerned about her minor children. Media reports on Shetty's personal life with her children are of concern…in such matters, it is the children who are in the centre," the court added.

The court asked Chandrachud why was he in a hurry for the matter to be heard as the case related to Kundra would go on for a while. "You (Shetty) are not going to be able to get a permanent injunction (against media reports) then why are you in a rush. This matter pertaining to Raj Kundra is going to go on for some more time," Justice Patel said.

She has accused media houses of invading her privacy and interfering in her personal life by publishing incorrect and derogatory statements concerning her life and relationship with her husband.

"These websites of the Defendants are freely accessible by any and every person and there is no requirement of any prior subscription to access the articles and comments posted on the Defendant's website. Thus, the defamatory content published by the Defendants as set out herein below is freely available to the world at large," the plea states.

The concerned organisations should be jointly and severally ordered and decreed to pay Rs. 25 Crores by way of damages together with interest thereon @ 18% p.a from the date of filing of the suit till payment, Shetty seeks as final reliefs.