Delhi HC's bench recuses from hearing Shehla Rashid's plea against Zee News, Sudhir Chaudhary

New Delhi: A single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court has recused itself from hearing the case of Shehla Rashid, a JNU alumna, who had petitioned the Delhi High Court on Thursday, asking for an "unambiguous and unequivocal" apology from Zee News and its then-anchor regarding a programme the channel aired in November 2020.

Rashid complained to the News Broadcasters and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) about the programme that was broadcast on November 30, 2020, in which her father was seen making outrageous accusations against her, her sister, and her mother.

Zee's counsel mentioned the matter on Thursday before Justice Pratibha M. Singh, seeking more time to file a reply. Singh, however, recused herself from hearing it.

Rashid, who has sought an apology from the channel's former anchor Sudhir Chaudhary, had approached the High Court against an order passed by the NBDSA in April 2022, wherein it had directed Zee News to take down links to a show about 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 is involved in "anti-national activities" and was "funding terror".

After the NBDSA ordered the news channel to take down the show, she was not quite satisfied that the association did not direct Zee News to issue an apology to her post, so she moved the High Court seeking modification of the NBDSA order seeking court's direction to Zee and Chaudhary to issue an unambiguous and unequivocal apology to her.

To alleviate the damage caused to her reputation, Rashid called for the apology to be broadcast during prime time as taking down the videos "will not affect the impact that the broadcast had on the public nor remotely restore the dignity and reputation of the petitioner, which was damaged by the broadcast."

With inputs from IANS