TADA judge asks media not to speculate

Taking cognizance of protests of the accused and prosecution and defence lawyers in the 1993 Bombay blasts case, TADA court judge P D Kode on Tuesday asked the media to exercise restraint and not speculate on the proceedings. He said this will ensure the faith in the judicial system is not lost.

He asked the media not to interview the accused in the court premises and not to speculate, as this could interfere with the future work of the court. The media would be entitled to criticism after the full judgment was passed, he said.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam raised the point on Tuesday about interviews taken inside the court premises and said he felt 'threatened' by abuses hurled by relatives of those who spoke to the media after their conviction.

Defence counsel Farhana Shah said the opinion poll run by various TV channels should also stop.

The accused then stood up and protested against the photographs published in the media. They called for a boycott of the special public prosecutor and alleged that photos taken of them by the administration in 1993 were being supplied by the police to the media.

Yakub Memon, who has been convicted in the case, said they would not entertain the media and were concerned only about their lives.

The judge assured the accused that the verdict was given by the court itself and not by the media and warned them of indulging in such bickerings. He asked the defence laywer to talk to the accused in private and submit their grievances to the court.