A Bengaluru court on Saturday issued a temporary injunction against 68 media houses restraining them from telecasting or publishing ‘defamatory’ news items or show footage referring to CDs against six ministers in the Karnataka government until the next date of hearing.
The court order comes after six ministers in the BS Yediyurappa cabinet - Health Minister Sudhakar K, Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar, Agriculture Minister BC Patil, Co-Operation Minister HT Somashekar, Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Narayan Gowda, and Urban Development (excluding Bengaluru) Minister Byrati Basavaraj- approached the City Civil Court seeking a temporary injunction. The ministers approached after Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned earlier this week after footage of him in an alleged 'sex for favours' scandal was widely shared in the media.
All six ministers and Ramesh Jarkiholi were part of the group of 17 MLAs who defected from the JD(S)-Congress coalition and joined the BJP in 2019 paving the way for BS Yediyurappa to become the Chief Minister in the state.
The ministers referenced Ramesh Jarkiholi's incident in their submission to the court. "Media channels in the State of Karnataka including social media platforms telecasted and published news titled as Sex Scandal of the State Minister Sri.Ramesh Jarakiholi alleging that the said Minister sought favours from a woman promising her a job. Same was telecasted/published even before verifying the news, its sources and authenticity, resulting in Sri.Ramesh Jarkiholi resigning as Minister. In close heel of the same, it is alleged that some of the Media Houses are telecasting/publishing news that there are other CDs containing several sex scandals pertaining to MLAs, Ministers and there are around 19 CDs. of different MLAS and Ministers including that of an influential politician from Old Mysore region," read the submission.
The plaintiffs - the six ministers - even alluded to the use of deep fake technology, a technology used to create convincing fake audio and video. "On the basis of such false news being telecasted, members from respective constituency of the plaintiffs have started calling them and presuming their involvement in such sex scandals. Family members of the plaintiffs are being put into embarrassing situations. Recently, by a process of deep fake using artificial intelligence, videos of worldwide politicians such as Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth have been morphed and have gone viral. Similar videos of some Indian politicians have also been made. Innocent people who are unaware of such a process tend to believe the videos and its contents to be true. Therefore, Plaintiffs apprehend that by using fake C.Ds. their reputation would be harmed," read the submission.
The submission further read that the ministers had produced a printout of the screenshots of 'B' news channel and 'BTV' news channel. "In the printouts pertaining to 'B' News there is a
caption telecasted as "Bombay kalla kaaneyagiddane" (Bombay person is missing), "CD prabhava" (CD impact), "Kangaalagi ajnaatha sthalakke hogiruva Mysuru Mantri" (Mysuru Minister has fled to an unknown place), "Prabhaavi sachivarobba cd release" (CD release of influencial minister)," reads the submission.
"Also a photograph of a person is visible in the said screenshot. In another printout of Btv News channel similar item is there and in yet another it is stated that there are 19 CDs. of 19 influential persons sex scandals and in another printout it is stated that CDs. may come to surface any time," it adds.
The court granted the temporary injunction till the next date of hearing. "Till the next date of hearing, defendants/ opponents are hereby restrained by an interim-order of temporary injunction from broadcasting, telecasting or publishing or letting in circulation or posting or accommodating or transmitting or circulating any defamatory news items or showing footages and pictures referring to the plaintiffs in relation to the alleged C.Ds. and committing any act or intentional omission which thereby causes character assassination of the plaintiffs on the basis of the unverified material," read the order by the court.
"Media is considered to be the 4th pillar of our democracy. At the same time, plaintiffs have right to be protected against their character assassination on the basis of unverified material," the court order added.