Bengaluru: In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court has ordered Kannada news channel Power TV to immediately cease broadcasting all its programs. The order comes in response to allegations of non-renewal of the channel’s license. Justice SR Krishnakumar, presiding over a single-member bench, issued this directive after examining petitions filed by Central Zone IG BR Ravikanthe Gowda and former Legislative Council member HM Ramesh Gowda.
The court’s ruling stipulates that no programs, including news, should be aired on Power TV until July 8. This action was taken as the channel was found to be in violation of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995. The order specifically targets Additional Director Rakesh Sanjiva Shetty (also known as Rakesh Shetty), who represents M/s Power Smart Media Pvt Ltd—the parent company of Power TV.
Senior advocates Prabhulinga K Navadagi, Sandesh J Chowta, and DR Ravi Shankar argued on behalf of the petitioner. They highlighted that Rakesh Shetty had been spreading defamatory news against their client and operating the channel illegally. Notably, the channel’s license has not been renewed since 2021.
Furthermore, Power TV’s Chief and Presenter, Rakesh Shetty, allegedly made derogatory remarks about former Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, along with their families, during a live show on the channel.
In response to this, Pradeep Kumar, the general secretary of the legal unit of the JDS party, filed a complaint with the SP Srirampur police station. He demanded appropriate legal action against Rakesh Shetty and the organization, urging an immediate halt to the program that maligns JDS party leaders Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy.