The Bombay High Court, which is hearing PILs about ‘media trials’ in the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on Friday said that the media has become “polarised” and it was a question not of regulation but “checks and balances”. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that is probing the death case of the actor told the court it did not leak any information to the media related to the case. 

“The media was neutral then (in the past). It is now highly polarised….This is not a question of regulation, this is a question of checks and balances. People forget where to draw lines. Do it within lines,” the bench hearing the case said.

“You want to criticise the government, do it. The issue is someone has died and the allegation is you are interfering,” the HC said.

Currently, the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Narcotics Control Bureau, all three are investigating the different angles related to the death case of Rajput, who was found dead at his Bandra apartment on June 14. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the CBI, said all three agencies had filed affidavits in the court stating that they had not leaked any probe-related information. 

“We know our responsibilities and there is no question of leaking information by any of the agencies,” the ASG added.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni was hearing final arguments on public interest litigations seeking that the media be asked to be restrained in its coverage of the probe into the actor’s death.

The Bombay High Court is hearing arguments on whether a statutory mechanism is required to control the TV news content. The petitioners have claimed that the news channels were broadcasting sensitive information. The petitioners that include a group of police officers, alleged that probe agencies must have been leaking information to the news channel. 

The hearing will resume next week.