(UNI) The Delhi High Court has upheld the Centre's decision imposing ban on an entertainment channel for 10 days as it allegedly violated rules and aired obscene dialogues and vulgar words besides being derogatory to women.
Justice VK Jain after accepting the recommendations of Inter Ministerial Council(IMC), the I&B Ministry directed the channel to go off air from today till June 4 for telecasting offensive words in programmes-Stand Up Club and Popcorn which were shown on May 26 and July 4 last year.
After the government imposed the ban on the TV channel Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd on May 17 last, the TV channel approached the court yesterday as the ban was to start from midnight tonight(May 25).
The HC refused to give any relief to the channel and upheld government's decision in imposing the ban. The HC accepted Additional Solicitor General AS Chandhiok's argument that section 20 of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the government can impose such ban in the interest of public order, decency, morality, can regulate or prohibit the transmission or retransmission of any programme of the channel, Mr Chandioke contended.
Justice Jain said imposing the ban for 10 days cannot be termed as harsh , excessive or unreasonable. Considering that the ban could be for 30 days for the first violation and upto 90 days in case of second violation, justice Jain said that the penalty awarded of 10 days ban is almost negligible and not harsh.
The case pertains to a ban imposed by the government on a TV channel on May 17 for airing obscene content. The ban is throughout India and starts tonight midnight.
The court said 2011 Policy Guidelines for up-linking of television channels from India clearing allows for such ban.
The court also observed that the ministry before coming to a decision of imposing the ban had carefully gone through the contents of the programme by watching its recorded CD. UNI
