The plea before the apex court seeks clubbing and quashing of the multiple first information reports (FIRs) filed against Rajan, and protection against coercive measures. It was argued that the channel had received a video from a third-party agency ANI, which was handled by a trainee producer. The show based on the same had factual inaccuracies. When the channel realised the same, it retracted the show and expressed regret on air.
It was submitted that multiple complaints have been filed even as the error was unintentional. Further, multiple FIRs arising out of the same cause of action are not permissible, the plea stated.
The FIRs in multiple States coupled with hounding by authorities, have been filed with a pre-determined and pre-motivated objective to cause undue harassment to the anchor and channel, it was contended.
Source: Barandbench
