The Crossbill News Desk
The Karnataka High Court was on Monday (August 11) informed that the trial court had declined to extend its July 18 ex-parte interim “gag” order, which had restrained several media outlets and YouTube channels from publishing any “defamatory content” about Harshendra Kumar D and his family in connection with the Dharmasthala Burial case.
The update came during the hearing of a petition filed by Spunklane Media Pvt. Ltd., owner of news portal The News Minute, challenging the interim order, Live Law reported.
The July 18 order, passed by the trial court, had temporarily barred publications against Harshendra Kumar D — brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade — his family members, institutions managed by the family, and the Sri Manjunathaswamy temple. The restriction had prompted The News Minute to approach the High Court.
Following the recusal of the earlier presiding judge, the Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge had transferred the case to another bench. On August 6, Judge Anitha M heard the matter and rejected Harshendra Kumar D’s plea for an extension of the interim order.
Appearing before Justice M. Nagaprasanna on Monday, counsel for The News Minute submitted a memo stating that the petition had become infructuous in light of the trial court’s refusal to continue the gag order. Counsel for the respondent also confirmed that the application for extension had been dismissed. The High Court subsequently recorded the submission and disposed of the petition as infructuous.
Meanwhile, The News Minute’s separate plea challenging a “John Doe” order issued by the trial court over its reporting on the alleged murder of a 17-year-old girl in Dharmasthala is scheduled to be heard next week.
The portal has said it published multiple reports on the teenager’s death and recent allegations emerging from Dharmasthala.
On May 15, 2025, it received an email from respondent Suresh A. S., claiming that its articles violated an ad-interim ex-parte order dated March 22, 2025, passed in O.S. No. 2145/2025 by the City Civil Court against certain named defendants, including “John Doe” as Defendant No. 79.
Earlier, on August 1, Justice Nagaprasanna had quashed a similar ex-parte gag order issued against the YouTube channel “Kudla Rampage” in relation to the Dharmasthala Burial case.
The update came during the hearing of a petition filed by Spunklane Media Pvt. Ltd., owner of news portal The News Minute, challenging the interim order, Live Law reported.
The July 18 order, passed by the trial court, had temporarily barred publications against Harshendra Kumar D — brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade — his family members, institutions managed by the family, and the Sri Manjunathaswamy temple. The restriction had prompted The News Minute to approach the High Court.
Following the recusal of the earlier presiding judge, the Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge had transferred the case to another bench. On August 6, Judge Anitha M heard the matter and rejected Harshendra Kumar D’s plea for an extension of the interim order.
Appearing before Justice M. Nagaprasanna on Monday, counsel for The News Minute submitted a memo stating that the petition had become infructuous in light of the trial court’s refusal to continue the gag order. Counsel for the respondent also confirmed that the application for extension had been dismissed. The High Court subsequently recorded the submission and disposed of the petition as infructuous.
Meanwhile, The News Minute’s separate plea challenging a “John Doe” order issued by the trial court over its reporting on the alleged murder of a 17-year-old girl in Dharmasthala is scheduled to be heard next week.
The portal has said it published multiple reports on the teenager’s death and recent allegations emerging from Dharmasthala.
On May 15, 2025, it received an email from respondent Suresh A. S., claiming that its articles violated an ad-interim ex-parte order dated March 22, 2025, passed in O.S. No. 2145/2025 by the City Civil Court against certain named defendants, including “John Doe” as Defendant No. 79.
Earlier, on August 1, Justice Nagaprasanna had quashed a similar ex-parte gag order issued against the YouTube channel “Kudla Rampage” in relation to the Dharmasthala Burial case.
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