Court restrains airing of CD 'featuring' Singhvi

The court's direction came after Mukesh Kumar Lal, Singhvi's former driver who allegedly prepared the CD, informed the court in a written statement that the matter was amicably settled between him and Singhvi.

Justice Reva Khetrapal taking on record the written submission filed by Lal passed the order restricting media houses from disseminating the contents of the CD.

Counsel appearing for media houses Aaj Tak, Headlines Today and The India Today Group informed the court that they would return the CD to the person they got it from and would not telecast it.

Singhvi's lawyer also told the court that the complaint filed at Gulmohar Park police station in south Delhi March 23 against Lal would be withdrawn as the matter had been amicably settled.

In the written statement filed by Lal, he said that he got four "distorted CDs" made from a shopkeeper in Darbhanga (Bihar) and circulated to two journalists.

He claimed that he had done so because he wanted to take a revenge from the Singhvi family because "one day Singhvis' dog had bitten my wife and I felt that because of that my child was born physically challenged".

He said he was unhappy with his pay package. "In particular, I was unhappy that the Singhvi family paid me so less compared to their high income," he said.

"Plaintiffs have assured me that the dispute between me and the plaintiffs now stands settled amicably and that they shall not take any legal action including seeking any damages in any police station or any court of law in present or in future against me and withdraw the compliant/FIR (first information report) no 102/12 against me made by the plaintiffs," said the written statement filed by Lal.

Singhvi with his former junior had moved the court seeking a permanent injunction restraining Lal, Aaj Tak, Headlines Today and the India Today Group from publishing, broadcasting or disseminating the purported CD.

According to the plea filed by Singhvi, his driver for several years Lal left the job March 17 without any prior notice and later March 23 and 24 sent SMSes and called Singhvi to threaten and blackmail him about the CD.

Singhvi's petition claimed that the SMSes referred to a CD, which Lal said he would distribute to all media houses, severely embarrassing and defaming the name and reputation of Singhvi.

The petition said: "Lal said that he needs a very large amount of money or else he will start spreading false rumours and allegations against Singhvi, including false statement regarding his moral character and will go to the media and distribute a CD which allegedly depicts alleged sexual acts made allegedly by Abishek Manu Singhvi and will not hesitate from making other false claim."

According to the petition, March 24 the petitioner received calls from several senior political leaders about the possession of the CD with journalists.

Singhvi claimed that such a CD either did not exist or if it did, it was clearly and obviously morphed, fabricated and forged.
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