Bengaluru: A City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru has issued an ex-parte interim order, prohibiting media from disseminating false news against former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda (HDD) and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) regarding alleged sexual assault case involving Prajwal Revanna.

The order, issued on May 4, restrains 89 media outlets from publishing any news items that inaccurately depict them in relation to Prajwal Revanna’s videos without substantive evidence, intending to unjustly tarnish their image and reputation in the public eye.

However, the order clarifies that media houses and platforms such as Google, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are not completely barred from publishing or broadcasting news if they believe that truth is their defence and they possess substantial evidence to support their claims.

In their petition, the father-son duo emphasised their respected family background with deep societal roots and a significant political legacy spanning over 70 years. They asserted that there were no allegations against them.