HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court dismissed a request for a gag order to prevent media disclosures regarding Margadarshi Financiers.
The appeal was made by Supreme Court lawyer Siddhartha Luthra, who sought the order without an accompanying investigation. The bench, led by Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao, gently reprimanded Luthra, stating it was inappropriate to request such an order without hearing arguments from all parties involved.
Former MP Undavalli Arunkumar, who was present during the hearing, expressed his impatience with Luthra’s conduct, emphasising that the lawyer was not representing either the plaintiff or the defendant but assisting the court in the trial, as per the Supreme Court’s instructions.
Luthra stated that he had refrained from speaking to the media for three months but still sought the gag order.
The bench, after considering arguments from both sides, ultimately rejected the plea for a gag order, affirming the importance of transparency in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for November 7, 2024, where Arunkumar and legal representatives will present their arguments directly.
This case stems from a previous complaint dismissed by the joint High Court in December 2018, which sought action against Margadarshi and its owner, Ramoji Rao, under the Depositors Protection Act. Both Arunkumar and the Andhra Pradesh government challenged this dismissal in the Supreme Court, leading to a ruling on April 9, 2024, which clarified that facts regarding the collection of deposits should be properly examined, disregarding the high court’s earlier judgment.