Mumbai: The special CBI court on Tuesday rejected the central agency’s plea to stay the broadcasting of documentary series ‘The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth’ based on Mukerjea and her alleged connection to daughter Sheena Bora’s murder. The court said it doesn’t have power to decide the plea and the agency should approach the appropriate forum.
Special CBI judge SP Naik-Nimbalkar referred to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that provide for the officer to approach the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to block any content on digital platforms.
The CBI had moved the court on Saturday to stay the release of the docu-series, wherein it expressed strong apprehensions. It said, “The documentary may be used as a tool to influence upcoming prosecution witnesses, leading to the distortion of facts with a malicious agenda, thereby undermining the true facts of the case and it is apprehended that it will cast hurdles in the administration of justice.”
The agency claimed that, given Mukerjea’s past association with a media firm, there is a “reasonable likelihood that the material/ script of the documentary is provided by her, raising concerns about the potential manipulation of facts with a malicious agenda”.
The relevant OTT platform, director of the series and Mukerjea had filed their objections to the CBI’s plea. Advocate Abad Ponda, appearing for the OTT platform, contended that only high courts and the Supreme Court have the jurisdiction to pass a direction on such a plea. He submitted that the provisions of witness protection are available in TADA(Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act) and MCOCA matters and not in the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code).
