Defamation Case

Karnataka HC stays BJP's defamation case over ads against CM Siddaramaiah

The Karnataka HC stays trial in BJP's defamation case against CM Siddaramaiah over Congress ads that called previous Bommai government a '40% commission sarkar' and alleged ₹1,500 crore corruption

Lakshmi Puri defamation case: Delhi HC refuses to accept Gokhale's apology

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to accept the written apology of TMC MP Saket Gokhale in a case over his alleged defamatory utterances against former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri. A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Renu Bhatnagar was dealing with Gokhale's appeal against a single judge's July 1, 2024 verdict restraining the TMC leader from publishing further on social media or any online platform against Puri. The single judge also directed him to apologise to her and pay Rs 50 lakh in damages. The division bench said the contents of his affidavit couldn't be taken on record while asking Gokhale's counsel to withdraw the apology and file a fresh one. "This is not done you first withdraw this affidavit, then we will hear you," the bench told the counsel. The court said there was a difference in the two apologies' -- the one directed to be published by the single judge and the one filed by Gokhale. The matter would be heard on July 22. Senior advocate Amit Sibal, ...

Savarkar remark case: Court says Rahul can't be forced to submit cited book

A court here on Thursday rejected a plea by the grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar seeking access to a 'book' cited by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while allegedly making defamatory remarks against the late freedom fighter. The Congress leader cannot be compelled to produce the book, said judge Amol Shinde of the special court for MPs and MLAs. Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant in the case, had filed the application in May, claiming no such book as cited by Gandhi existed, and he should be asked to produce it if it did. The court, in its order, said the accused cannot be compelled to disclose his defense before the commencement of the trial. "The accused may produce any relevant documents during the presentation of his defense evidence. If the accused is compelled to produce such evidence prematurely, it would amount to violation of his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 20(3) of the Constitution of India, which protects against self-incrimination," the order ...

Karnataka govt to file defamation case against BJP, issues notification

The Congress government in Karnataka has decided to initiate a defamation case against the state BJP for allegedly indulging in false propaganda about its performance. The government in an official notification issued on Sunday has cited, alleged misinformation, distortion and lies by BJP through its campaign in visual media and print media under the title -- "charge sheet about two years failure of the state government". Opposition BJP has termed the move as the beginning of the second chapter of emergency in Karnataka. The notification said, the government has decided to file a defamation case in Bengaluru's 42nd Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in this regard, and the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) has been authorised to file a complaint. Government prosecutors B S Patil from the 67th City Civil and Sessions Court and Shailaja Nayak from the 61st City Civil and Sessions Court have been appointed, to handle the legal proceedings. Also, Ku

Nirmala Sitharaman gets court notice over remarks on AAP leader's marriage

A Delhi court has issued notice to Nirmala Sitharaman over alleged defamatory remarks about AAP leader Somnath Bharti's marriage during election campaign

Court issues notice to Tharoor on defamation plea by Rajeev Chandrasekhar

In his complaint, Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed that Tharoor defamed him on national television by making "false" and "derogatory" statements

Activist Medha Patkar released hours after arrest in defamation case

Delhi Police arrested social activist Medha Patkar earlier today in connection with a 24-year-old defamation case filed by Delhi LG VK Saxena

Medha Patkar arrested in 24-yr-old defamation case filed by Delhi LG Saxena

The arrest follows a non-bailable warrant issued by a Delhi court after Patkar failed to appear before it or comply with earlier directions to submit a probation bond and pay a fine of ₹1 lakh

Defamation case: HC to hear Akbar's plea against Ramani's acquittal in Sep

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday posted on September 19 former Union minister M J Akbar's appeal challenging the acquittal of journalist Priya Ramani in a criminal defamation case over her accusations of sexual harassment against him. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna deferred the hearing after Ramani's counsel sought an adjournment due to the unavailability of the senior lawyer arguing the case. "List it for argument on September 19," the court said. Akbar's counsel, on the other hand, sought the "shortest possible date" but the court refused and said it was only a criminal defamation matter. Akbar challenged the trial court's February 17, 2021 order acquitting Ramani on grounds that a woman had the right to put grievances before any platform of her choice even after decades. The high court on January 13, 2022, agreed to examine Akbar's appeal against the trial court verdict. Akbar's appeal argued the trial court decided his criminal defamation case on the basis of surmises and conjec

Delhi HC asks Medha Patkar to approach sessions court to defer fine payment

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked activist Medha Patkar to move the sessions court for permission to defer the execution of a sentence, in which she was asked to deposit Rs one lakh fine in a defamation case filed by Delhi LG V K Saxena. Saxena had filed the case 23 years ago when he was heading an NGO in Gujarat. The sessions court, which had earlier held the 70-year-old guilty in the defamation case, released her on "probation of good conduct" on April 8 and imposed a precondition on her of depositing Rs 1 lakh as fine. Probation is a method of non-institutional treatment of offenders and a conditional suspension of sentence in which the offender, after conviction, is released on bond of good behaviour instead of being sent to prison. As Justice Shalinder Kaur was not inclined to entertain Patkar's application seeking to direct the trial court to postpone the execution of the sentence, including depositing the fine amount, her counsel submitted that he would approach the ...

Fix Medha Patkar defamation case post May 20: Delhi HC to trial court

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked a trial court to fix after May 20 a defamation case filed by activist Medha Patkar against Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in 2000. The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader filed the case against Saxena for allegedly publishing a defamatory advertisement when he headed an NGO in Gujarat. Justice Shalinder Kaur asked the trial court to list the defamation case, fixed for final arguments, after May 20, the day the high court is scheduled to hear Patkar's plea seeking to examine a new witness in the case. "The trial court is directed to give the date of hearing post the date given by this court," the judge said. The high court passed the direction on Patkar's plea seeking a stay on trial court's proceedings in the defamation case. The application was filed in a pending petition of Patkar challenging a trial court's March 18 order dismissing her plea to examine a new witness in the case. During the day's hearing, the high court was informed that on Mar

ANI vs Wikipedia: What the case is about and what has happened so far

Supreme Court reserves verdict on Wikimedia's challenge to Delhi HC order seeking removal of Wikipedia page detailing ANI's defamation case and courtroom exchanges

Medha Patkar gets one-year probation in defamation case by Delhi LG

In a reprieve for Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar, a Delhi court on Tuesday gave her one-year probation in the defamation case filed against her by Delhi LG V K Saxena subject to furnishing a bond of good conduct. Hearing an appeal filed by Patkar against her conviction and five-month sentence in the case filed in 2000, Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh said he has taken into consideration Patkar's age, the gravity of the offence and that she had not been previously convicted. The judge also reduced the amount of fine imposed on the 70-year-old Patkar from Rs 10 lakh to Rs one lakh. Probation is a method of non-institutional treatment of offenders. It is a conditional suspension of sentence in which the offender after conviction is released on bond of good behaviour instead of sending the convict to prison. Last week, the court had upheld the magisterial court's order convicting her for the offence of defamation. Saxena had filed the case as president of the Nati

Kunal Kamra moves Bombay HC to quash FIR over remarks against Shinde

The development comes shortly after Kamra failed to appear before Mumbai Police despite being summoned thrice in the same case

'Why so touchy?' Supreme Court slams Delhi HC for Wikipedia takedown order

The Supreme Court questioned why the Delhi High Court ordered Wikipedia to take down a page, saying courts shouldn't be so sensitive to non-contemptuous criticism

Delhi HC directs Wikipedia to take down 'defamatory content' on ANI

Meanwhile, the Wikimedia Foundation has moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order, challenging its directive to remove the allegedly defamatory content from Wikipedia

Defamation case: SC exempts Shivraj Chouhan from personal appearance

The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its earlier order exempting Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from personal appearance before a trial court in connection with a criminal defamation case lodged against him by Congress MP Vivek Tankha. Tankha, also a senior advocate, has alleged that the union minister and BJP state president V D Sharma and former minister Bhupendra Singh carried out a "coordinated, malicious, false and defamatory" campaign against him for political mileage, accusing him of opposing OBC reservation in the 2021 Panchayat election in Madhya Pradesh. A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal deferred to March 26 the hearing on a plea of Chouhan and two other BJP leaders. The top court was hearing the appeal of Chouhan against the October 25 order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court refusing to quash the defamation case. While Chouhan was represented by senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, Tankha was represented by senior lawyer Kapil Si

Rahul Gandhi fined Rs 200 for missing hearing in Savarkar defamation case

Rahul Gandhi has been accused of making derogatory statements about Savarkar during a rally in Akola, Maharashtra, as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra campaign in 2022

Kangana Ranaut, Javed Akhtar resolve long-running defamation case

Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut on Friday said she has resolved the long-running defamation case filed against her by veteran screenwriter-lyricist through mediation. The actor-politician actor posted a photo with Akhtar on Instagram and said the cinema veteran was "kind and gracious" during the mediation process. "Today, Javedji and I have resolved our legal matter (defamation case) through mediation. In the mediation Javed ji has been very kind and gracious, he also agreed to write songs for my next directorial," the BJP MP wrote in the caption. Akhtar is yet to comment on the matter. Akhtar had claimed that Ranaut defamed and damaged his 'immaculate reputation' by dragging his name into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death in her interview with a news channel in July 2020. In 2021, Ranaut hit back by filing a counter-complaint against Akhtar before a magistrate's court, alleging criminal intimidation and insult to modesty. She had claimed that during her meeting with Akhtar at hi

Savarkar case: Rahul Gandhi's bid to bring historical facts faces objection

Satyaki Savarkar has objected to Rahul Gandhi's plea to convert the trial from a summary trial to bring historical facts into the proceedings