It is being described as landmark judgement for Indian media. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that NDTV's BMW expose is completely in the public interest and does not amount to a trial by media.
The court also said that stings conducted by TV channels are legitimate if they are not done to boost TRPs.
Two years ago, NDTV caught on camera justice being compromised in the most blatant manner.
Sanjeev Nanda, a young Delhi hotelier, was accused of running over seven people with his black BMW. His lawyer, one of India's most famous criminal lawyers, RK Anand, was captured on tape as he tried to buy the main witness in the case.
First the Delhi High Court and now the Supreme Court have ruled that Anand is guilty of criminal contempt of court.
The court also wants stronger punishment. It says the four-month ban ordered earlier by the Delhi High Court and already served by Anand is just not enough.
The Supreme Court said, "We propose to issue notice to RK Anand for enhancement of punishment. Why should he not be debarred from appearing in courts for a longer period?"
The lawyer and former Congress MP was not in court to hear the verdict, which sanctions hidden camera reports as long as they are in the public interest.
The judgement says, "We have unequivocally upheld the basic legitimacy of stings. The sting programme by NDTV rendered valuable service to protect and salvage the purity of the course of justice. We appreciate the professional initiative and courage shown by the young reporter Poonam Agarwal."
NDTV's expose also showed the public prosecutor IU Khan asking Sunil Kulkarni, his only witness, not to testify.
R K Anand now has eight weeks to explain why he should not be banned from court for a longer period.
Supreme Court Relief To 30 Army Men In 2021 Botched Nagaland Operation "Bulldozer Can't Be Justice": Akhilesh Yadav On Supreme Court Halting Demolitions "Huge Focus On Safety": Railways Minister's Report On Modi 3.0's 100 Days 8 Dead, 2,750 Hurt As Pagers Explode Across Lebanon, Hezbollah Blames Israel Video: Leopard Spotted Crossing Road In Bengaluru's Electronic City IndiGo Flight Tailstrike Leaves Huge Dent During Take-Off From Delhi Airport Norway Now Has More Electric Cars Than Petrol Models, 1st In The World "Mother Used To Feed Me Jaggery": PM Modi Gets Emotional On 74th Birthday "Wear Proper Undergarments": Delta Airlines' New Memo For Flight Attendants Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.