NEW DELHI: The News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) has found the news channels Aaj Tak, India TV, Times Now, Zee News, Zee 24 Taas, Zee Hindustani, News Nation, India Today and ABP News at fault for putting out slanderous reports against Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh and linking her to drugs.

The NBSA has directed three channels from Zee Network to air public apology, while other channels have been issued a warning with respect to use of taglines and hashtags, and have been cautioned against telecasting unverified news.

The NBSA also provided the three Zee news channels with a statement that had to be aired on December 17: “We apologise for the manner in which the hashtags/taglines and images were telecast, while reporting the ongoing investigation of Rhea Chakraborty's narcotic drugs case. The telecasts violated the code of ethics and broadcasting standards requiring broadcasters to maintain neutrality, impartiality, accuracy and fairness, the specific guidelines covering reportage and specific guidelines for reporting court proceedings. We clarify that there was no intention on our part to sensationalise the issue or to prejudice the investigation in any manner. We reiterate our commitment to uphold every individual's right to fair trial and reputation, while reporting about matters under investigation.”

The channels have been further directed to remove any and all offensive videos on different platforms and report the same within seven days.

Several channels used titles/headings like “The Rhea Drug Circle”, “Drugs Mandli”, “Theeno Bud leetey the”, “Took Drugs” , “Drugs se Rakul Ki Preeti”, “Bollywood Drug Connection” etc for Rakul Preet Singh, which has been roundly criticised by the regulator.

The NBSA did not find the story run by Times Now to be objectionable but found its hashtags and taglines to be offensive. In the case of India TV, the regulator noted that pictures of the actor "dancing, smoking, and of her hips were objectionable, placed out of context and misleading." The taglines used by India Today and Aaj Tak were deemed "out of context...with no link with the news which was reported."

The reports were run by the channels in their coverage of the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The channels claimed that Rhea Chakraborty gave this information, however Rhea denied sharing any such information.

Singh had moved the Delhi high court in September seeking action against these news channels under the Programme Code, framed under the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act. The court, in turn, had directed the NBSA to look into the actor's complaints against the channels.