The CEO of a private TV channel, which allegedly aired a fake sting operation involving teacher Uma Khurana, appeared in a city court which had dismissed his plea for personal exemption.
NEW DELHI: The CEO of a private TV channel, which allegedly aired a fake sting operation involving teacher Uma Khurana, on Thursday, appeared in a city court which had earlier dismissed his plea for personal exemption in a defamation case file by her.
Live India channel's CEO Sudhir Chaudhary appeared in court as a bailable warrant had been issued against him in connection with Khurana's case over the fake sting operation.
Chaudhary's personal appearance was necessitated as the court had on March 29 dismissed his plea for exemption from personal appearance and issued a bailable warrant.
Appearing before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Naveen Arora, Mohammed Parcha, counsel for Chaudhary, argued that his client is a responsible citizen and he might be exempted from personal appearance.
Opposing Parcha's contention, the teacher's counsel Amit Kumar argued that law was equal for all and the CEO should not be granted exemption as there was no logic behind doing so.
After hearing both the sides, the court refused his request for exemption from personal appearance and granted bail to Chaudhary after he furnished a bail bond of Rs 10,000.
The court had on March 20 issued a bailable warrant against Chaudhary as he failed to appear before it despite summons.
Prakash Singh, the former reporter of the Live India Channel and presently working in Voice of India, was also present in the court.
Khurana said in her defamation petition that the fake sting operation was allegedly carried out by reporter Singh, with the help of businessman Virender Arora and aspiring journalist Rashmi Singh.
In her petition filed on November five last year, she alleged that Live India channel and its CEO Chaudhary and reporter Singh were responsible for defaming her by showing in the fake sting showing that she was running an alleged prostitution racket.
Chaudhary and Singh had full knowledge and reason to believe that if the fake sting was telecast, it would defame her, she claimed in her petition.
Chaudhary, who is responsible for the day to day affairs of the channel, had "negligently" aired the fake sting on August 30 last year which enraged the residents and sparked violence near Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Darya Ganj, she claimed in her petition.
The court on Thursday fixed August first week for the next date of hearing for arguments on charge.
The trial court discharged her from the case after Delhi Police virtually gave her a clean chit.
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