Bengaluru: The City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru has granted a temporary injunction in favour of Reporter Broadcasting Company Private Limited, the parent entity of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV, restraining several television networks, digital platforms, and news websites from publishing or circulating content allegedly defamatory to the organisation.
The interim order names an extensive list of defendants, including The News Minute (TNM), The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, Manorama News, Asianet News, Media One, News18 Kerala, Zee Malayalam News, Kerala Vision News 24×7, ETV Bharat, and Malayalam India. Global technology companies Google LLC, Facebook, and Instagram are also listed among the defendants.
Suit Details
In its petition, Reporter Broadcasting Company, based in Kochi, stated that Reporter TV has a strong presence in both Kerala and Karnataka and enjoys a following across India for its journalism. The company alleged that certain individuals and organisations were circulating content on social media using private photos and videos of the plaintiffs to damage the channel’s reputation.
The suit further requested that all reports referencing criminal cases involving the channel’s current owners be taken down, alleging they were published with the intent to harm the company’s image.
Scope of the Order
The court’s ad-interim injunction restrains the defendants from publishing, sharing, circulating, providing access to, or communicating any material deemed defamatory toward Reporter TV. It also directs that the specific URLs mentioned in the complaint be de-indexed and made non-searchable across online platforms.
As part of the order, The News Minute has been asked to delete four URLs — three news articles and one Instagram post — which include reports related to the Mango phone scam, the Muttil tree felling case, and coverage of ownership changes at Reporter TV.
Background of Reporter TV
Reporter TV was initially launched in 2011 under Indo-Asian News Channel Pvt. Ltd., led by senior journalist MV Nikesh Kumar and Rani Varughese. The channel was relaunched on July 1, 2023, under Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt. Ltd., with brothers Roji Augustine (Chairman), Jose Kutty Augustine (Vice-Chairman), and Anto Augustine (Managing Director and Managing Editor) taking charge.
The three brothers are the main accused in two earlier cases — the Muttil tree felling case (2020), involving the illegal cutting of rosewood trees, and the Mango phone scam (2016). Both cases were registered prior to their acquisition of the channel.
John Doe Orders and Hearing Date
The injunction also includes Ashok Kumar/John Doe among the defendants, allowing the order to extend to any unnamed parties who might publish or circulate similar content.
The court order, which does not specify whether it was passed ex parte, will remain in effect until the next hearing. Summons have been issued to all defendants, and the matter is returnable by December 18.
