Indian court issues warrant against Murdoch

Indian court issues warrant against Murdoch

BOMBAY (Reuter): An Indian magistrate has issued a warrant against media baron Rupert Murdoch after a descendant of India's apostle of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, complained his ancestor was defamed by Murdoch's STAR TV, court officials said yesterday.

After a guest on a STAR TV talk show in May described Mahatma Gandhi, regarded with god-like reverence in India, as a "bastard bania (trader)", Gandhi's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, threatened to sue STAR TV, the show's producers' TV 18, as well as the participants, for 500 million rupees ($16 million).

In his order, issued on Monday, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate P.S. Patankar said, "There is a prima facie case of insult and defamation. Issue bailable warrant against accused No. 1 Rupert Murdoch in the sum of 5,000 rupees ($170)."

Patankar declined to speak to Reuters, but lawyers said the bailable warrant meant that Murdoch or his representative would have to post bail of 5,000 rupees to guarantee his presence in court at a later time.

Tushar Gandhi's lawyer, M.P. Vashi, told Reuters the magistrate had also issued orders for police to search the STAR TV offices in Bombay and to seize the relevant videocassette.

The next hearing in the case was set for Friday.

A STAR TV spokesman said the network had no comment. The outcry, sparked off by comments by gay-rights activist Ashok Row-Kavi on the show "Nikki Tonight", caused STAR TV to cancel the program and apologies to Tushar Gandhi.

Tushar Gandhi, who happened to see the show while idly switching channels, said at the time he wept at the insult. "Over the last few years there's been a trend of taking potshots at my great-grandfather," he told Reuters then. "These days it's become trendy to blame him for everything."