NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea moved by Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra alleging the leak of “confidential information” from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the media in a probe against her under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Moitra had approached the court, alleging the press reports were violating her right to privacy and dignity and right to fair investigation.
In the order, Justice Subramonium Prasad said the people are entitled to know about any news regarding ‘public figures’. The accountability of public figures towards society is higher and they are subject to a higher level of public gaze and scrutiny, the order added.
“The newspaper clips do not deal with the private life of the petitioner but are only reportings regarding the investigation that is being conducted against the petitioner who is a public figure and same is unrelated to her private life.”
The court added nothing in the news articles that could be said to invade the petitioner's privacy to impair the investigation's impartiality or have the effect of prejudicing the petitioner's trial if it is initiated.
“It is well settled that gag orders against the media can be passed only when it has the potential to prejudice any investigation or an ongoing trial,” the court emphasised.
Dismissing Moitra’s plea, the court said, it is of the view that the relief “need not be granted at this stage.”
Earlier, senior advocate Rebecca John, representing the former MP, had argued that Moitra was being “hounded”, and the media published information on the issuance of summons to her by the agency even before she received them.