Delhi high court tells police to book Live India

NEW DELHI: It has not been a month that Janmat television channel is re-launched as Live India, but the channel's future is already in doldrums.

While the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi Police to file an FIR against the channel and initiate investigations on the fake sting case, the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued a show-cause notice to the channel.

A bench comprising Chief Justice MK Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna of the Delhi High Court had asked Delhi Police to submit their case investigation diary, after taking suo motu cognizance of the case.

The bench flared up on Wednesday after noticing that even after 10 days of investigation, police have failed to frame charges against the channel and file an FIR. Earlier, a local court had also questioned police action against the channel.

The channel will have to do some explaining on the expose to the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The high court, however, is not satisfied with the I&B Ministry's act. The bench observed: "Under which provision of the law, you have issued a show-cause notice. If an offence is committed, you have to register a case to start criminal proceedings".

The high court also took a chance to pull up the ministry on the issue of broadcast bill. Seeking a status report from the government, the bench asked the Additional Solicitor General to file a reply by next week and inform about provisions for regulating sting operations.

Meanwhile, the future of Uma Khurana is still not clear. While she has been released from jail after a lower court observed that "She was a victim of a fake sting operation and not an offender", she is still facing interrogations in the case and the state government is yet to clarify its stand on Khurana's reinstatement in service.