New Delhi: On August 30, 2007, a sting aired on a private TV channel sparked off violence in parts of Delhi.
Scores were injured and the teacher who was depicted as running a prostitution racket was almost lynched by a mob.
But it was later established that the entire sting operation was stage managed by a reporter, Prakash Singh, and that the teacher, Uma Khurana, had been trapped.
Four months later the Delhi High Court has come down heavily on broadcasters who do not exercise caution while airing a sting.
The HC in its order has restrained broadcasters from violating people's privacy in their desire to earn higher television ratings.
“Sting operations infringing upon a person's right to privacy should not recur because of desire to earn more and to have higher TRP rating,” says the HC order.
The Court has suggested that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry forms a Committee to verify the authenticity of sting operations and the Ministry should also ensure that the content of the sting operation does not hamper anyone's reputation. The HC adds that Ministry should make sure the truth is shown only in the larger public interest.
Senior editors in the channel have also been held responsible for the content of the broadcast.
"These guidelines by the Delhi HC should be considered by the IB Ministry when they are making Broadcasting Code,” says an advocate at Delhi HC, Amarjeet Singh Chandioke.
The HC has also suggested that the reporter or the cameraperson who does the sting operation gives an undertaking that the contents are factually correct.
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