Prashant Singh v. Union of India and 2 Others

Court No. - 40 Case :- WRIT - C No. - 36941 of 2023 Petitioner :- Prashant Singh Respondent :- Union Of India And 2 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Javed Khan,Saurabh Singh Counsel for Respondent :- A.S.G.I.,Gautam Kumar Hon'ble Mahesh Chandra Tripathi,J. Hon'ble Prashant Kumar,J. Heard Shri Javed Khan, learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel appearing for the Union of India. The petitioner has preferred the present writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, inter alia, with following reliefs : "(i) issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents no. 2 and 3 to decide the representation/application dated 22.08.2023 of the petitioner and direct the print media entities, their agents, or any of them acting on their behalf, to remove such defamatory articles along with the photographs of the petitioner from the internet or all other electronic media and also, please to direct them to restrain from further publishing any article or write up or telecast which highlights the allegations against the petitioner or associating petitioner with those allegations.

(ii) Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the print media entities, their agents, or any of them acting on their behalf, to remove such defamatory articles along with the photographs of the petitioners from the internet or all other electronic media and also, please to direct them to restrain from further publishing any article or write up or telecast which highlights the allegations against me or associating me with those allegations." The aforementioned relief is being pressed on the ground that the Right to Privacy is well recognised by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the Constitution Bench judgement in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, (2017) 10 SCC 1. Learned counsel for the petitioner has also placed reliance upon the judgement passed by the Delhi High Court in Jorawer Singh Mundy v. Union of India & Ors. decided on 12.04.2021. He is confined is prayer that the direction may be issued to the first respondent to decide the representation dated 22.08.2023 in accordance with law expeditiously, preferably within three weeks. In case, the said application is still not addressed by the respondent no. 1, we hope and trust that the same would be addressed by the authority concerned as per law. With the aforesaid direction, the writ petition stands disposed of. Order Date :- 7.11.2023 Rama Kant High Court of Judicature at Allahabad High Court of Judicature at Allahabad