SC rejects Sinha’s plea to restrain media

Petitioner says Sinha is trying to protect some accused and wants him to be sacked

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday turned down the plea of CBI director Ranjit Sinha to gag the media from carrying news stories on documents pertaining to the entry of various people who are under its probe, to his residence.

A bench headed by Justice H L Dattu, however, said that the issue arising out of visitors’ log book at the director’s residence is very “sensitive” and hoped that the media would act with some responsibility.

It turned down a vehement plea by Ranjit Sinha’s counsel to restrain the media from publishing details of entry list saying that it violates his right to privacy and reputation. “We have no control over it (press),” the bench said. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, counsel for an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, has alleged that several accused and officials of accused companies in the 2G scam and other cases have been frequent visitors at Sinha’s residence.

He had also alleged that Sinha was trying to protect some accused and sought his removal from the post. The court said that in sub judice matter people should wait till the case is decided by it and cleared that details of the documents, which were filed in a sealed envelope before it, have not been leaked from court. “If sometimes someone oversteps it then we cannot stop it,” the bench observed.