[Ramesh Jarkiholi sex CD case] Karnataka court gags media houses from publishing defamatory, sarcastic news about BJP lawmaker MP Renukacharya

A Karnataka court has restrained media houses from publishing or telecasting any defamatory material against BJP lawmaker, MP Renukacharya in relation to the Ramesh Jarkiholi sex scandal..The ex-parte order was passed by Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru City, Ningouda B Patil on July 28..“Defendants and anybody on their behalf are hereby restrained by an order of ad-interim ex-parte temporary injunction from publishing/ telecasting/ broadcasting/ disseminating/ distributing any statement or contents of an alleged CD or any other material referring the plaintiff negatively defaming him or creating a sarcastic views about him in any manner including showing the footage and pictures, till next date of hearing,” the Court ordered..Renukacharya, who is the BJP MLA from Honnali constituency, had contended in his plea that he hails from a respectable family and he is in public life as a peoples representative.He alleged that the defendant media organisations on July 21, 2021 published/ telecast defamatory statements regarding alleged CD/ explicit materials on their platforms and channels referring to him..He submitted that the said statements were injurious to his reputation and were published by the defendants to malign his goodwill and reputation which he earned by sacrificing his personal life decades together.The Court after examining the plea and contentions advanced by Renukacharya said that while media outlets enjoy their fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression, they cannot cross their limit in publishing or telecasting or broadcasting any statements or articles which ridicules or insults a person..It, therefore, proceeded to pass interim order restraining media houses from publishing any news referring to Renukacharya in a defamatory or sarcastic manner..This is the third such gag order passed in relation to Ramesh Jarkiholi sex CD case. Earlier, former Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda had secured a similar order from Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Abdulrahiman A Nandgadi.Before that, six Karnataka State ministers had also been granted similar interim relief by judge Nandgadi.The sex CD case had led to the resignation of Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi after being accused of demanding sexual favours from an unidentified woman in exchange for a job.A CD in this regard was leaked, which ultimately resulted in Jarkholi's resignation..Another BJP MLA Satish Reddy had also secured gag order against eight media houses as well as Facebook from reporting or publishing any news against him in relation to the alleged COVID-19 bed scam..[Read Order]