A plea has been filed in the Delhi HC by 38 producers seeking permanent injunctions against Arnab Goswami and Pradeep Bhandari from Republic TV, and Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar from Times Now “from carrying on reportage and publication of material that violates applicable laws.”

The petition has been filed by well-known names in the Bollywood including Aamir Khan Production, Ajay Devgn Ffilms, Salman Khan Films, Yashraj Films, Dharma Production, etc. alleging that they are conducting media trials of Bollywood personalities and are infringing their right to privacy.

The plea states that “The livelihood of persons associated with Bollywood is being severely impacted by the smear campaign being run by the Defendants. This is in addition to the ongoing pandemic which has resulted in extreme revenues and works opportunity loss. The privacy of the members of Bollywood is being invaded, and their reputations are being irreparably damaged by painting the entire Bollywood as criminals, seeped in drug culture, and making being part of Bollywood as synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination.”

The further alleges that these reporters are using phrases including, “dirt”, “filth”, “scum”, “druggies”, and sentences including “all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood”, “This is the dirtiest industry in the country”, and “cocaine and LSD drenched Bollywood”.

The petition further stated that “These Defendants are conducting and publishing parallel private ‘investigations’ and effectively acting as “courts” to condemn persons connected with Bollywood as guilty based on what they claim is “evidence” found by them, thereby trying to make a mockery of the criminal justice system.”

 

The petitioners are not seeking a blanket ban on the coverage of the case rather has sought a permanent injunction.

Owner of a Chinese Supermarket (Panda Supermarket) in Jabi District, Abuja, Mr. Chen Yong Qin, has been arraigned before an Area Court, Kado District, on the allegation of causing grievous body harm to a married Chinese woman.

It was alleged that Mr. Yong Qin assaulted Mrs. Cheng Xiao Jing, a married woman with kids, smashing on her face a glass cup of wine, and kicked her on the floor.

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The assault was alleged to have happened after she approached him about turning down the volume of music being played in the entertainment section of the 1st floor of his two floors supermarket.

The supermarket owner occupies the ground floor and the first floor of the three-story building, sharing the first floor with an ICAN tutorial school. Mrs Xiao Jing occupies the third floor, running a guest house. The parties are tenants in the building.

Mr. Yong Qin, upon arraignment, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail. The bail conditions include one Surety with two passport photographs and N500, 000 in like sum. The surety must be resident in Abuja and within the jurisdiction of the Court. The case was thereafter adjourned to October 16, 2020, for hearing.   

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According to the plaintiff, the accused man, who is usually in the company of police escorts, plays loud music and disturbs his neighbours in the building, including the ICAN students within the same premises and students reading overnight for their exams.

 

The incident occurred on September 26, 2020, at about 11:35 pm after which she was rushed to the Nigerian-Turkish (Nizamiye) Hospital at Idu Industrial Layout, Abuja where she was admitted and received treatment. 

The plaintiff’s husband, Mr. Yang Yang, who had traveled to Jos, Plateau State, returned a day after the incident and reported the matter to the Utako Police Station, in Abuja. 

The Police arrested Mr. Yong Qin and detained him for about six hours before releasing him on bail. The Police also visited the scene of the crime and the victim at the hospital. 

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According to the hospital, the 31-years-old woman arrived at the hospital with sustained eye trauma, wound on her eyelid, and bruises on the forehead.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCPC) shut the same supermarket down January 2020 over alleged discriminatory practices against non-Asians and as a cautionary step, following the outbreak of coronavirus in China.

FCCPC said it confirmed the allegations against the supermarket located in the Jabi area of Abuja.

Apart from confirming the allegations, FCCPC said “seafood and animals imported illegally from China” were discovered.

“Products with expired and irregular shelf life were also discovered,” FCCPC said.

“Regulatory activities to remove all offensive products from the Supermarket continue,” it said.

FCCPC discovered some products on sale with expiry dates set for 2019, 2073, and 2089.