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Delhi court to decide on attachment of STAR property on Dec 19

Can the properties of News India Television, the Indian subsidiary of STAR TV, be attached following media baron Rupert Murdoch's failure to appear in court in spite of summons and arrest warrants in connection with an obscenity case?

This question will be argued on December 19 in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi. Last month, CMM Prem Kumar, who has since been transferred, gave directions for attaching all properties owned by Murdoch.

The order came on an application by the complainant Arun Agarwal.

The magistrate in his order of November 21 said the court will decide if the properties of STAR TV and Star Movies, the first two accused in the complaint, can be attached in the absence of Murdoch. Counsel SS Gandhi appeared in court and said he will represent News Television India.

The complainant alleged that Star Movies is showing obscene material which violated the Indecent Representation of Women Act and tended to create a bad influence on impressionable minds.

Agarwal said it was clear that Murdoch was wilfully and deliberately disregarding the court since he was fully aware of the complaint. This was proved by the fact that Rathikant Basu, chief executive officer of News Television India had appeared in person in the case.

UNI

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