The ‘Adalat’ has spoken: Zee Hindustan’s ad referring to Rajat Sharma prima facie illegal, Delhi HC

Stating that Zee Hindustan’s advertisement campaign is prima facie illegal, the Delhi High Court has today restrained the channel from issuing any advertisement referring to India TV Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma..The Court has also directed Zee Hindustan to remove any hoardings which make reference to Rajat Sharma..The order was passed by Justice Jayant Nath in a plea moved by Rajat Sharma and India TV seeking an ex parte interim injunction directing Zee Hindustan to take down all forms of its newly launched advertisement, including print, electronic, outdoor hoardings etc..In the impugned advertisement, Zee Hindustan uses taglines like:.“India mein ab Rajat ki Adalat band! (Rajat’s Adalat is now shut in India!).“Ab Anchor nahin khabarein khud bolengi, Kyunki aap samjhdaar hein (Since you are intelligent, News would speak for itself, without any news anchor).“Zee Hindustan becomes India’s first news channel to go anchorless, so that there is nothing between you and the truth.”.One such advertisement was published on the front page of Hindustan Times on January 9, 2019..It is their claim that the advertisement is being used to deliberately and maliciously misrepresent and disparage the image of India TV and Rajat Sharma, who has been running the show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ on different channels since 1993..“Using the words “India”, “Rajat” and “adalat” clearly connote the Plaintiffs and the said sentence would mean that the Defendants are suggesting that operations of the Plaintiff has shut down in view of Defendant’s anchorless channel”, the petition claims..After hearing the plaintiffs, the Court recorded,.“Keeping in mind the legal position, in my view, reference to the name of plaintiff no. 1 (Rajat Sharma) in the impugned advertisement is prima facie illegal and the defendant cannot be permitted to do the same.”.Observing that the balance of convenience is in favour of the plaintiffs, the Court directed,.“The Defendants are restrained from issuing any advertisement in the print media, TV channels or otherwise which contains the name of the plaintiff. They will within three days remove any hoarding which has reference to the name of the plaintiff.”.The plaintiffs were represented by Senior Advocates Sandeep Sethi and Amit Sibal, assisted by Advocates T Singhdev, Ritika Talwar, and Tarun Verma..The matter will be next heard on April 10..Read the order: