FROM WATCHDOG TO PARALLEL COURT: MEDIA SENSATIONALISM IN PUNE PORSCHE CASE
AUTHOR – SAKSHI PRITAM DAS, LLM STUDENT AT GUJARAT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY
BEST CITATION – SAKSHI PRITAM DAS, FROM WATCHDOG TO PARALLEL COURT: MEDIA SENSATIONALISM IN PUNE PORSCHE CASE, INDIANJOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (14) OF 2025, PG. 1079-1089, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344. DOI – https://doi.org/10.65393/IKLD1294
Abstract
In the contemporary digital era, the media has emerged as an exceptionally powerful social institution whose influence extends far beyond information dissemination, particularly due to the rapid amplification of narratives through social media platforms and 24*7 digital news cycles. This paper undertakes a content analysis of media coverage surrounding the 2024 Pune Porsche hit-and-run case to examine how contemporary Indian media practices intersect with constitutional guarantees of free speech and fair trial. The paper situates a constitutional tension between Article 19(1)(a), guaranteeing freedom of speech and expression, and Article 21, which protects the right to life, personal liberty, and presumption of innocence. The paper acknowledges the media’s watchdog function in exposing alleged evidence tampering and institutional collusion, underscoring its dual role as both an accountability mechanism and a source of constitutional risk. In India, the media’s regulatory framework is fragmented, and only through advocating for regulatory harmonisation, strengthening enforcement of juvenile protection norms, and constitutional moderation can public scrutiny be ensured rather than undermined in the administration of justice through the media.
Keywords:- Sensationalism, Media trial, Freedom of Speech and Expression