The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, Prasar Bharati, television channels CNN-IBN, IBN-7, TV 18, website Cobra Post and magazine Outlook on a petition seeking directions to the Centre and Prasar Bharati to stop the telecast of programmes shown on the CNN-IBN channel on May 4, 5 and 14, which carried out sting operations against religious pontiffs.
The petitioner, Acharya Pramod alias Pramod Tyagi and others prayed to the court to order the registration of an FIR against the TV channels and magazines for unauthorised recording and intrution on privacy.
The petitioner has also urged the apex court to lay down guidelines for the prevention of misuse of sting operations carried out without intimating authorities so that the Right to Privacy of citizens is not encroached.
This also includes the demand of appropriate compensation for victims of sting-operations.
Mahamandaleshwar Mahayogi K A Pilot Baba and Mahamandaleshwar Swami Pandit ji Maharaj, also petitioners, on Monday contended before the vacation bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain that sting operations have become a source of blackmailing by private TV channels and this is in violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioners as guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.
They contended that the Union government and concerned ministries have till date, failed to enact a law to check and prevent the misuse of sting operations carried out by vested interests to fill up the coffers with either blackmailing, collecting advertisement money or taking benefit of increased TRPs.
The petition also mentions a CNN-IBN live coverage under the heading 'Government turning black money into white' and an article published in Outlook titled, 'Black money ki babagiri'.
It showed so-called sadhus who admitted to accepting commission and ran trusts and charitable foundations which were used for nefarious and illegal activities.
