M KAKANITHI MARAN Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The above criminal original petition has been filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure praying to call for the records and quash the written order of the respondent issued under Section 91, Cr. P.C., dated 4-7-2003.

(2.) Petitioner, who is the Managing Director of the Sun TV Limited, is the accused in the above case registered by the respondent for the offences punishable under Sections 120-B r/w 417 and 153, IPC. The charge against him is that when Mr. M. Karunanidhi, the former Chief Minister of the Government of Tamil Nadu, was arrested in the wee hours of 30-6-2001, from the morning of 30-6-2001, the SUN TV was continuously telecasting news as if Mr.Karunanidhi was attacked and manhandled by the Police at the instance of the State Government and there was a deliberate human rights violation in his arrest and that the SUN TV edited the entire recorded events, Inserted dubbing voices and misrepresented the entire facts with the deliberate intention of creating hatred in the mind of the public towards the State Police and the Government of Tamil Nadu headed by the Chief Minister Selvi.J. Jayalalitha; that though the misconduct on the part of two Union Ministers was also recorded by the SUN TV it did not telecast the attack on the police officials by them and the extreme patience shown by the police officials who arrested the former Chief Minister and because of such distorted news telecasted by the SUN TV, violence took place in many parts of the State in which hundreds of transport buses suffered damage and the fear psychosis was also created in the mind of the general public.

(3.) During the course of investigation, the Inspector of Police, Crime Branch CID, Metro Wing, Chennai has sent an order purported tp be under Section 91, Cr. P.C. thereby directing the petitioner to produce the following documents on or before 14-7-2003 before the said officer at 10.00 am. :