HC not to bar media from reporting seer's death

The Karnataka High Court on Monday refused to bar media from reporting the suspicious death of Udupi Shiroor Mutt seer Lakshmivarateertha Swami.

Justice Aravinda Kumar was hearing a petition submitted by the Udupi Ashtamatha Hitharakshana Samithi Chairman H V Gautam and religious thinker B Ramachandra Upadhyaya. The petitioners had sought the court to direct the print and electronic media not to publish “baseless and disgraceful reports” pertaining to the mutt and the seer.

Petitioners’ lawyer B V Acharya said the media is doing its own investigation and passing judgements on the incident. “They are behaving as if the only thing to be decided is quantum of sentence. The court should provide interim stay to stop publication of such news,” he said.

The single-judge bench ordered issuing a notice to editors of private TV channels, newspapers, magazines and web portals as well as home secretary. The case was adjourned for further hearing on August 2.