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An ad-interim injunction passed by the Hyderabad City Civil Court on Friday, May 15, directed media houses to ‘remove and delete all the posts from all media platforms’ in connection with the media coverage involving Union Minister of State (Home Affairs) Bandi Sanjay. Sanjay has been at the centre of controversy after Bandi Bhageerath, his 25-year-old son, was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl.
Representing Bandi Sanjay, his lawyer PM Swapna pleaded the Court to “immediately take down, delete and permanently remove all defamatory videos, clips, interviews, press meet recordings, statements, social media posts, and any other content uploaded and circulated by them or their instance on any online platform, social media platform, television channel, website or any other medium.”
Subsequently, the Court directed the removal and deletion of already published URLs and directed media houses to delete the photographs of the petitioner. The gag order applies to 23 respondents. While 22 of them include intermediary platforms like Google, Meta and X, as well as regional media houses like TV9, TV5 and ABN Telugu, the court also mentions a 23rd respondent identified as Ashok Kumar/John Doe.
A John Doe order (often called an Ashok Kumar order) means the gag will apply to all parties, even if they are not arrayed in the petition. Such orders have infamously been used time and again by several such accused individuals to suppress news coverage and retroactively pull down any media link.
The ad interim injunction has been granted till May 29.
Bhageerath was booked by the Pet Basheerabad police on May 8, based on a complaint from the minor’s family alleging that he sexually assaulted her at a farmhouse in Moinada on December 31. On May 12, more sections under the POCSO Act incluging Section 5(1) (applies when a penetrative sexual assault is committed by a person in a position of trust) read with Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), were added to the FIR.
Bandi Bageerath has failed to appear before Telangana police after being summoned on May 13 in connection with the case. He is currently absconding.
