Deepika Singh Rajawat, the lawyer for the family of Kathua gang-rape and murder victim, has served a legal notice to Zee Hindi for broadcasting a fake news vilifying her.
In its broadcast on 17 April Zee News had alleged that Deepika stayed in the JNU with an innuendo that she also supported anti-national activities. Zee News editor Sudhir Chaudhary had said that Deepika was seen wandering inside the campus of Shehla Rashid, former vice president of JNU Students’ Union.
In his opening remarks of the programme, Chaudhary had also concluded that ‘Afzal Premi gang’ and those who wished for India’s disintegration, were behind whipping up the sentiments on Kathua gang-rape case.
Deepika’s legal notice, sent by advocate Sangeeta Madan on her behalf, stated, “The aforesaid act of your channel Zee News Hindi, which has been done without proper verification of facts, is contrary to the factual position and is in gross breach of journalistic ethics. While my client reiterates that she has never stayed at JNU, she nevertheless firmly believes that there cannot be anything remotely wrong in staying in JNU, if ever she did. Your innuendoes and spreading of communal hatred constituted a threat to her life,”
Deepika had earlier issued a press statement vehemently denying the allegations that she stayed in the JNU. She had said, “My attention has been drawn to a news broadcast on Zee TV (on the programme DNA) dated April 17, 2018, in which a false statement has been made by one Mr Bhatti to the anchor Mr Sudhir Chaudhary, that I have spent the last few days in JNU. I categorically deny that I have ever set foot in JNU. The statement is false to the knowledge of Mr Bhatti and is calculated to malign me.”
This is not the first Zee Nerws and Chaudhary have been found guilty of broadcasting fake and defamatory news. Not so long ago, News Broadcasters Standards Authority had slammed Zee for broadcasting a fake news on noted poet Gauhar Raza. The channel was also asked to pay Rs 1 lakh and directed to broadcast a full apology on 16 February at 9 PM both in English and Hindi.