‘Prejudices fair trial’: K’taka HC orders Netflix to stop streaming first episode of Crime Stories: India Detectives

Team Udayavani, Oct 3, 2021, 3:28 PM IST

New Delhi: The Karnataka high court on Friday directed Netflix to stop streaming the first episode of its new web series, Crime Stories: India Detectives.

The petitioner, Sridhar Rao, a 28-year-old co-accused in the murder case of 54-year-old Nirmala Chandrasekhar had approached the court against streaming of the episode stating that the contents of the episode infringes on his right to privacy and chance of fair trial.

The petition submitted by Rao’s advocate states that the contents of the episode being aired by Netflix contains visuals from an interview recorded during the investigation and footage of a purported confession, further adding that the content also violated the petitioner’s privacy and exposes him to “ridicule and harassment” by the public.

Taking note of the submissions, Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad passed an interim order directing the resondents to block streaming, broadcasting, telecasting or otherwise making available the content of the Episode No.1 of the Series 1 of the documentary “Crime Stories. India Detective” titled “A Murdered Mother” on Netflix until further orders.

Earlier, Rao had moved the civil court to seek an interim injunction on the episode. When the civil court refused his request while also simultaneously issuing summons to the investigative agency, he moved the high court. The high court, while overturning the civil court’s order, said that “the delay in granting interim order would defeat the very purpose of the application as also the suit, and prejudice the petitioner’s interest without any remedy”.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 21.

The episode features the Bengaluru police probe on the murder of Nirmala allegedly executed by her daughter Amrutha in February 2020, with the help of co-accused Sridhar Rao.