Delhi High Court dismisses plea alleging deliberate misreporting of its order by Newslaundry

The Delhi High Court today dismissed an application claiming that online news portal, Newslaundry had deliberately misreported an order passed by the Court. (Amrish Ranjan Pandey vs UOI).Last month, the Court had passed an order directing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India to decide within four weeks, a complaint by the Petitioner, Amrish Ranjan Pandey, in connection with Republic TV and Republic TV Bharat's broadcast on Palghar lynching..It was Petitioner's grievance that Newslaundry published a report stating that the High Court had directed the Ministry to "issue order" against Republic TV. .In its application, the Petitioner submitted that since the High Court did not direct that an order be passed "against" or "in favour" of Republic TV, suo motu cognizance of the "criminal and contemptuous" conduct of Newslaundry must be taken. ."I want to show how courts are being misquoted", counsel for Petitioner, Advocate Avadh Kaushik said. .A Single Judge Bench of Justice Navin Chawla, however, responded that he was dismissing the application. ."There is absolutely nothing in this. I find no merit"..The complaint against Republic TV pertained to the broadcast on Palghar lynching. It was stated that the broadcast was in complete breach of the Programme Code under Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, Uplinking & Downlinking Guidelines as well the advisory issued by Ministry to media houses..The Petitioner asserted that the broadcast contained defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos against a specific minority religious group, which had the potential to disturb peace, harmony and unity in the country.