Navika Kumar, news reader and journalist with the Times New network, was faced wit trolls online after she reported private WhatsApp chats of Bollywood celebrities and star-kids to prove the use of narcotics by them on live televisions, which has led to the questioning of the channels credibility and responsibility in handling privacy of individuals. The recent argument regarding drug abuse within Bollywood brought up after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and consequent arrest of his girlfriend, actor Rhea Chakraborty, in connection to use and possession of narcotics by NCB.
After the death of the actor on June 14 this year, investigations were open to look into a possible case of “abetment of suicide” when it was found that the actor had taken to the use of narcotics and the issue soon turned into an axe-head for Bihar Elections. Rhea was arrested on September 9 in relation to drug charges and for alleged links to drug networks which gave access to Rajput who had been using small quantities of Marijuana.
All these were apparently being “proved’ by Kumar on the Times New Channel where she discussed at length about the “drug mafias” of Bollywood- a term that was also used multiple times by actress Kangana Ranaut. This was cue to the netizens to use their dark humour to question how Kumar got access to private chats which claim to be end-to-end encrypted. Moreover, if these celebrities do come under investigation and they act as proof in the matter, the question of legal morality and journalistic ethics in showcasing them to the public through broadcast on television remains questionable.
