Delhi riots: HC says TV channel can’t publish confessional statements

The media cannot access or publish confessional statements of accused that are not in the public domain, Delhi High Court observed on Monday while questioning a news channel’s act of broadcasting the alleged confession of a Delhi riots suspect.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru said that journalists do not have the right to take out police case diaries and publish them. “These are documents which you cannot take out and publish. There is no doubt about it,” he said.

Accused Asif Iqbal Tanha, a Jamia Millia Islamia student, has in his petition accused the police of forcing him to sign certain papers in custody and then leaking the statement with malicious intent.