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The Karnataka High Court has listed for hearing on October 23, a plea by Netflix seeking the vacation of stay on the streaming of an episode in its new crime documentary series "Crime Stories: India Detectives".
Senior Advocates Nanganand and Uday Holla today mmentioned the matter before Justice Shyam Prasad to list the application filed by Netflix, seeking vacation of a stay on the streaming of the first episode of the series.
One Sridhar Rao, an accused in the murder documented in the first episode of the series, had filed a writ petitioned before the High Court seeking a stay on the telecast of the said episode, upon which the Court had duly granted a stay.
Justice B M Shyam Prasad of Karnataka High Court in his interim order had directed Netflix “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 Detectives’, titled ‘A Murdered Mother’."
Rao had pleaded that “the content being available for viewing the petitioner would be put to harassment and prejudice”.
The first episode of the crime documentary portrayed the story of the murder of a mother by her daughter. Rao had pleaded before the High Court that he is under trial for offences punishable under Sections 302 and 307, 212, 201 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 in the crime registered by Bengaluru Police. According to him, the Netflix episode contained visuals of the investigation of the case by the police and some of this content could affect his defence.
According to Rao, this particular episode contained a video of him supposedly confessing to the murder.
Therefore in his plea he stated that, "The petitioner’s right to a free and fair trial is severely prejudiced. This is apart from violating the petitioner’s privacy, and the content, without any justification, exposes the petitioner to ridicule and harassment by the public at large."
Rao had prior to approaching the High Court approached a civil court seeking the issue of an interim order to block the streaming of the episode, however, the civil court refused to interfere.
Cause Title: Sridhar Rao vs Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP
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