Delhi High Court reserves verdict in plea by Times Now Navbharat against trial court bar to air 'Operation Paap' against AAP MLA

News channel Times Now Navbharat has approached the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order restraining it from broadcasting 'Operation Paap', a programme which showed an alleged conversation between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan..Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing on behalf of the channel, told the High Court on Tuesday that it is the duty and fundamental right of the channel to bring to public knowledge the nexus between politicians and gangstersSingh stated that the trial court’s order amounts to a gag on the media and such an order is not permissible under our constitutional scheme.“It is the right of a media house, news channel and newspaper to bring to the knowledge of people that these gangs are roaming around and there is a nexus between the politicians and the gang members," he said.The channel further argued that it stands by its programme and that the reporting was factual.“The settled position of law is that whenever a journalist, TV channel or newspaper says that even if the content is defamatory but I will justify my stand, the gag order cannot be passed,” Singh contended..On the other hand, Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, appearing for the AAP MLA, stated that the trial court passed the order based on the statement made by Times Now Navbharat’s counsel and that the channel is now making insinuations against the trial court.“It is a solemn undertaking. There has to be some sanctity attached to it… Can they come here and say that we never made a statement before the court? After the order, the trial court heard the matter on another date. Did they say before that court that we did not make a statement and that this statement needs to be withdrawn,” Mathur contended.He further said that Times Now Navbharat has the statutory remedy available to challenge the order before the appellate court and it is yet to file a response before the trial court..Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora heard the arguments from both sides and reserved her verdict. .On August 17, Times Now Navbharat ran a show under the heading 'Sarji ka vidhayak Gangster ka Sahayak'. A leaked audio was run on the programme alleging that Balyan was talking to Sangwan and planning extortion.The same day, Balyan filed a suit alleging that the authenticity of the audio clip was not verified and that it was damaging his reputation. He further stated that he had received threats from Sangwan and had lodged police complaints regarding this as well..Judge Ajay Kumar Malik of Dwarka court then passed an order restraining the channel from broadcasting the show.