The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed media organisations not to broadcast or publish the contents of the chargesheet in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, Bar and Bench reported.

The police have accused Walkar’s live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala of killing and chopping her body into several pieces. He then threw the body parts at different places in Delhi over several days, the police have alleged.

A 6,636-page chargesheet was filed against Poonawala on January 24.

The Delhi Police had filed a petition before a trial court seeking to restrain media organisations from publishing details from the chargesheet. However, the trial court asked them to move the High Court instead.

On Wednesday, Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar of the High Court said that the media ban on content of the chargesheet will also extend to audio recording from a narco analysis test conducted on Poonawala and close circuit television footage.

The High Court also directed the Centre to ensure that no such material is displayed.

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, representing the police, told the judge that the trial court had already restrained news channel Aaj Tak from airing a video of the narco test till April 20, PTI reported. However, he urged the High Court to extend the order to other channels as well.

Justice Bhatnagar observed orally: “This is really very, very strange. What purpose will be served by showing or telecasting this narco analysis test on television? This will definitely prejudice the case.”

Prasad claimed that the footage had not been provided to the channel either by the police or anyone related to the accused person. He said that a first information report needed to be filed to investigate into how the visuals were leaked.

Poonawala was arrested on November 12 after the police said that he confessed to killing Walkar and chopping her body into several pieces. He is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.