News Broadcasting
HC reserves orders on Kannada Crime Serials
BANGALORE: A division bench of the Karnataka high court, comprising justices A M Farooq and A B Hinchgeri, reserved its orders on Tuesday on a petition filed by city based advocate A. V. Amarnathan on banning two crime TV serials as they might affect judicial process of some trials.
The Karnataka HC had permitted the advocate general to file contempt proceedings against two Kannada crime serials following government counsel contending that the opinions expressed in the serials about the innocence or guilt of the accused in any manner were pre-judicial to the interest of the justice delivery system.
The petion had argued that such serials amounted to holding a parallel trial by the media. Continued telecast of the serials could constitute contempt of court.
Based on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Amaranthan, the government had also sought a blanket direction to the media not to carry stories in violation of the criminal justice system.
On 12 January, bailable warrants were issued against Udaya TV and its programme Crime Story producer-director Balakrishna Kakatkar, and also against ETV and its programme Crime Diary, which was produced and directed by Ravi Belegere.
As reported by indiantelevision.com earlier, the state government had sought direction from the HC on banning of two serials since they were effecting fair trials of criminal cases, infringing upon the rights of citizens and adversely effecting public interest.
The petiton alleged that the serials were presenting facts even before filing of an first information report (FIR) with the police, recording views of police officers, interviewing criminals, victims and or their next of kin. This, it was pointed out, resulted in a trial by the media, prejudicing and interfering with the judicial proceedings.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
