Justice E.V. Venugopal passes order not to publish, telecast Bageerath POCSO case content

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The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed social media platforms and television channels not to telecast content related to the case registered against Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son Sai Bageerath registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Justice E.V. Venugopal passed the direction after hearing a writ petition filed by Sai Bageerath seeking an order to restrain media organisations, including digital and social media platforms, and some YouTubers from publishing or telecasting ‘any fresh or further material’ concerning him in the POCSO Act case under investigation by the Petbasheerabad police of Cyberabad. The petitioner Bageerath filed five interim applications as part of the writ petition.

The petitioner’s counsel sought injunction order in the five applications citing an order passed by the Bombay High Court. In the first application, the petitioner requested the HC to restrain the 61 respondents - including media houses, the Union and the State government- from conducting media trial or parallel investigation, airing speculative debates, publishing leaked investigation material or alleged confessional statements, circulating morphed or artificial intelligence-generated depictions of Bageerath.

In the second application, the petitioner wanted the HC to direct Google, Meta platforms INC, X Corp. and other intermediaries to remove, block or disable access any such material on being informed of such material publication or telecasting by his lawyers.

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