'Flagged Zee News broadcast against Shehla Rashid', NBDSA to Delhi HC

New Delhi, March 2 The News Broadcasters and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) informed the Delhi High Court on Thursday that it had shown displeasure and had opposed programme televised by Zee News and its then anchor showing JNU alumna Shehla Rashid's father levelling 'wild' allegations against her, her sister and her mother during an interview.

A single-judge bench Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav was hearing Rashid's plea seeking "unambiguous and unequivocal" apology from Zee News and its then anchor Sudhir Chaudhary for the show aired on November 30, 2020.

The NBDSA submitted that the channel was also asked to remove the links to the broadcast.

Justice Kaurav was informed that the NBDSA and Zee News have filed their replies in the petition and that the said journalist would adopt the channel's response.

Representing NBDSA, advocate Nisha Bhambhani said that it has decided to direct the broadcaster to exercise caution while airing such programmes and not repeat the violations in the future.

The counsel added that the channel informed the authority that all links to the programme have been removed.

The judge granted four-week time to the petitioner to file a rejoinder to the respondents' replies while listing the matter for next hearing on July 19.

A week ago, Zee's counsel had mentioned the matter before Justice Pratibha M. Singh, seeking more time to file a reply. Singh, however, had recused herself from hearing the case.

Rashid, who has sought apology from the channel's former anchor Sudhir Chaudhary, had approached the high court against an order passed by the NBDSA in April 2022, directing Zee News to take down the links of the show on her since it lacked objectivity, impartiality and presented only one side of the story.

She had also written to the NBDSA contending that the programme had implied that she was involved in "anti-national activities" and was "funding terror".

After the NBDSA ordered the news channel to take down the show, Rashid was not satisfied as the association did not direct Zee News to issue an apology to her post which, she moved the high court seeking modification of the NBDSA order.