Court takes cognizance of Doval's defamation suit against Jairam, Caravan

A Delhi court on Tuesday took cognizance of a defamation complaint filed by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, The Caravan magazine and an author for publishing a defamatory article against him.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal listed the matter for January 30 for recording the statement of complainant Vivek Doval and two witnesses.

Two other witnesses are Vivek's friend Nikhil Kapoor and business partner Amit Sharma.

Vivek Doval has alleged that the article intended to harm his reputation and business and these were punishable under the Indian Penal Code.

The magazine claimed that Vivek Doval was running a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands.

Vivek's counsel D.P. Singh told the court that a hedge fund cannot be set up overnight, or in a matter of days.

Countering the allegation, advocate singh said that the work for setting up of the fund had been initiated months prior to the demonetization announcement, and the final launch of the fund landing up in the proximity of the demonetization announcement was a mere coincidence arising out of unforeseen circumstances.

He also told the court that the title of the article 'The D-Companies' itself is scandalous and it is creating a prejudice in the minds of the readers against the complainant and his family.

It is well-known fact that D Company is a reference often given to one of India's most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim.

"A similar reference to the complainant's business set up smacks mala fide and is a clear reflection on the mala fide intent of the accused persons," the counsel said.

He also told the court that the accused had distorted facts and publically made various grave allegations using falsified and baseless insinuations and innuendoes, thereby caused irreparable harm to the reputation and goodwill of Vivek and his family, both in India and abroad.

Vivek told the court that through calculated insinuations and innuendos raised by way of published articles and press conferences, the accused had raised unfounded and baseless allegations against him and have caused irreparable damage to his reputation and goodwill that he had earned for himself over years of hard work.

"The article as well as press conferences have unrestricted access through the Internet across the globe including New Delhi," the complaint said.

Vivek Doval also told the court that the statements made by the accused were far from the truth.

"To the contrary, the insinuations have been so made by the accused persons, in active connivance with each other, with the concrete knowledge that imputation will harm the reputation of the complainant and the Doval family," said Vivek's complaint.

He said that the accused made no effort to verify any of the imputations, which itself reflected their mala fide intent.

--IANS

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