Karnataka High Court restrains Power TV from telecasting or circulating an alleged covert recording of former Magadi MLA A. Manjunath, citing the risk of an irreversible breach of privacy.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has restrained Power Smart Media Private Limited, which operates the news channel Power TV, its Managing Director Rakesh Sanjeeva Shetty and the other respondents from telecasting or circulating an alleged covert sting recording of former Magadi MLA A. Manjunath, holding that refusing a restraint could lead to a breach of privacy. The order is an interim one. It records no finding on what the recording contains or on the respondents’ defence [A. Manjunath v. Power Smart Media Private Limited and Others].
Justice K.V. Aravind passed the order while hearing Manjunath’s challenge to a trial court’s refusal to grant an ex parte injunction against publication of the alleged recording.
How the matter reached the High Court
According to the plaint, Shetty said during a Power TV programme on October 16, 2026 that he possessed a “sting video” of Manjunath, allegedly recorded in March 2023. Manjunath claims he was covertly recorded in a private setting, without his knowledge or consent, and learnt of the recording only from the broadcast. These are the plaintiff’s allegations and have not been tested.
The vacation court declined to grant an ad-interim restraint, although it observed that Manjunath’s apprehension could not be treated as wholly speculative. He then approached the High Court.
What the Court held
The High Court noted that the trial court had considered the requirements for an injunction but still declined to restrain publication. It held that this refusal could result in a:
“breach of privacy”
and cause “irreparable damage and hardship” to the petitioner, harm that could not be compensated later.
The directions
The interim order restrains the respondents from directly or indirectly disseminating the impugned material through any medium. The Court issued notice to the respondents, and the restraint will remain in force until the next hearing. Manjunath did not press a separate application seeking removal of the existing broadcast from YouTube and Facebook.
The contents of the recording are not reproduced here. The Court has expressed no view on the merits, the allegations remain untested, and the respondents’ stand will be heard after notice.
Similar litigation
In a similar matter, a Bengaluru court earlier granted an ex parte ad-interim injunction restraining 42 media houses, including Freedom TV Kannada and a YouTube channel named Karnataka Honey Trap, from disseminating an alleged “honey trap” video concerning former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Case Title: A. Manjunath v. Power Smart Media Private Limited and Others (case number not available)
Bench: Justice K.V. Aravind, Karnataka High Court
Nature of Order: Interim order restraining telecast and circulation, notice issued
Appearances: Not available