Delhi gangrape case: Total ban clamped down on media from reporting court proceedings

The proceedings in the case of gangrape and murder of the 23-year-old girl in a bus in Delhi will be held in camera, a local court today ordered after the five accused were produced before it.

Metropolitan Magistrarte Namrita Aggarwal also restrained the media from reporting and publishing the proceedings of the case in the court after the Delhi Police filed and application for in-camera proceedings.

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"Keeping in view the situation which has arisen in this case, proceedings, including the inquiry and the trial, to be held in-camera. I am invoking section 327 (2)(iii) of Cr PC.

Hence, all public persons and everybody present in the court room are directed to vacate the court room.

"It shall not be lawful to print or publish any matter or content in this case except with the permission of this court," the judge said in the order.

Challenging the order, some lawyers filed an application before the District Judge R K Gauba for lifting the curb on the media.

Gauba issued notice to the Delhi Police and posted the issue for hearing on Janaury 9.

Public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan moved an application for in-camera proceedings, two-days after Delhi police issued an advisory that the proceedings in the case cannot be reported as the court has already taken cognisance of the charge sheet, under sections 302 (murder), 376 (2)(g) (gangrape) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Allowing the police plea, the court said, "An unprecedented situation has arisen where the members of the bar and public persons even unconnected with the case have started converging in the courtroom where the matter is going on, since 12 noon. The court room has become jam-packed with lots of disturbance created from from different nooks and corners.

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