Sushant Singh Rajput suicide: A Hindi channel receives a legal notice for "insensitive" reporting on his death

A leading Hindi news channel has received a legal notice from a Delhi-based lawyer for its alleged insensitive coverage on Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The Bollywood actor was found dead at his residence on Sunday, 14 June.

Insensitive Ticker
The Hindi channel had compared his suicide to hit-wicket with the ticker - Ise Kaise Hit Wicket Ho Gaya Sushant? (How did Sushant get hit wicket? The language came was condemned by netizens and now Mohit Singh, a Delhi-based practising advocate, has sent a notice to the channel in connection with this headline.

"By this comment, Aaj Tak has insinuated that the death of Mr. Sushant by suicide, is equivalent to that of a batsman in cricket who breaks his own wicket with his bat or any part of his person while playing the ball or setting off for a run. The careless use of such language portrays that the news channel, Aaj Tak, with its high viewership, has shed its responsibility towards the Indian masses," LiveLaw.in quoted him as saying in his notice.

He has questioned how the channel can speculate even before his port-mortem report was out. He claims that the channel's reportage was speculative, uncorroborated and "casts aspersions" on the actor's integrity."

Mohit Singh also points out that the channel has normalized the act of suicide. "The words used, carry the imputation that the act of committing suicide is an act of cowardice and is one to be looked down upon. Such doings of public platforms, especially one which has a high viewership, has the power of causing boundless pain to a large chunk of the Indian society," the notice added.

The advocate claims that such reportage, under the section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, constitute the offence of Defamation punishable. He has demanded an unconditional apology from the channel.

Meanwhile, Sushant Singh Rajput is laid to rest at Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai.