Indian court issues warrant against Murdoch<\/p>\n
BOMBAY (Reuter): An Indian magistrate has issued a warrant
\nagainst media baron Rupert Murdoch after a descendant of India's
\napostle of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, complained his ancestor
\nwas defamed by Murdoch's STAR TV, court officials said yesterday.<\/p>\n
After a guest on a STAR TV talk show in May described Mahatma
\nGandhi, regarded with god-like reverence in India, as a "bastard
\nbania (trader)", Gandhi's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi,
\nthreatened to sue STAR TV, the show's producers' TV 18, as well
\nas the participants, for 500 million rupees ($16 million).<\/p>\n
In his order, issued on Monday, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
\nP.S. Patankar said, "There is a prima facie case of insult and
\ndefamation. Issue bailable warrant against accused No. 1 Rupert
\nMurdoch in the sum of 5,000 rupees ($170)."<\/p>\n
Patankar declined to speak to Reuters, but lawyers said the
\nbailable warrant meant that Murdoch or his representative would
\nhave to post bail of 5,000 rupees to guarantee his presence in
\ncourt at a later time.<\/p>\n
Tushar Gandhi's lawyer, M.P. Vashi, told Reuters the
\nmagistrate had also issued orders for police to search the STAR
\nTV offices in Bombay and to seize the relevant videocassette.<\/p>\n
The next hearing in the case was set for Friday.<\/p>\n
A STAR TV spokesman said the network had no comment.
\nThe outcry, sparked off by comments by gay-rights activist Ashok
\nRow-Kavi on the show "Nikki Tonight", caused STAR TV to cancel
\nthe program and apologies to Tushar Gandhi.<\/p>\n
Tushar Gandhi, who happened to see the show while idly
\nswitching channels, said at the time he wept at the insult.
\n"Over the last few years there's been a trend of taking potshots
\nat my great-grandfather," he told Reuters then. "These days it's
\nbecome trendy to blame him for everything."<\/p>",
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