Did media "exaggerate" while reporting on Delhi Excise Policy? Delhi High Court directs CBI, ED to furnish details of press communications

The Delhi High Court Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to furnish all public statements and press communications issued by them to media in relation to their investigation in Delhi government's excise policy..Single-judge Justice Yashwant Varma passed the order on a plea by communications in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party, Vijay Nair alleging that sensitive information regarding his case was leaked by the ED and the CBI to the media, thereby, prejudicing his rights as an accused.The judge underscored that while the agencies have right to issue press communications, he will examine whether the correct information was reported.The Court, therefore, said that it will consider the official communications issued by the investigating agencies and then examine whether the TV channels reported the issue based on the communications or whether the reportage was their 'figment of imagination'."Place those communication that you may have issued. You have the right to issue the communications. Whatever you (agencies) tell them (media) about the investigation is what should be broadcast… if they are broadcasting something which is based purely on assumption that is something else… We want to evaluate whether the things reported is complete exaggeration or figment of their imagination or to add some spice,” the Court said..The Court directed the agencies to file their responses and listed the matter for further consideration on November 21, Monday. .Vijay Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder, was arrested and remanded to 5 days CBI custody on September 27 in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi Excise Policy case.The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, putting Manish Sisodia, the in-charge of the excise department, in the line of fire.On Nair's role, the FIR stated that reliable sources revealed that he and three others were actively involved in irregularities in framing and implementation of excise policy..Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Nair, told the Court that the Court has to examine whether the channels broadcast something beyond the information supplied to them"We don’t know if these channels imagined the information," Krishnan said."That is what alarms us," the judge responded.Krishnan submitted that Section 164 statement of an approver in the case is also being recorded today and if that too gets reported in the media, it would seriously prejudice their case. The judge then responded that if in-camera proceedings are reported, then it will be a serious issue.The judge further said that the court is not concerned whether the petitioner (Nair) is a member of a political party.“We are only interested in protecting the rights of the accused. We want to know what was put out in public domain and if what has been presented in the media is a correct representation or goes far beyond that," the judge underlined.