Page 4 - Defamation Case

Thaksin indicted on charge of royal defamation as more cases stir Thailand

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was formally indicted on Tuesday on a charge of defaming Thailand's monarchy in one of several court cases that have unsteadied Thai politics. Thaksin, an influential political figure despite being ousted from power 18 years ago, reported himself to prosecutors just before 9 a.m. and the indictment process has been completed, Prayuth Bejraguna, a spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, said at a news conference. A car believed to be carrying Thaksin arrived at the Criminal Court in Bangkok but he did not come out to meet reporters, and it is unclear whether he went to the court or the nearby prosecutors' office. His lawyer Winyat Chatmontree told reporters that Thaksin was ready to enter the judicial process and that he has prepared a request for his release on bail. The law on defaming the monarchy, an offense known as lese majeste, is punishable by three to 15 years in prison. It is among the harshest such laws globally and ..

Court to decide sentence of Medha Patkar in defamation case on July 1

A court here on Friday reserved for July 1 its order on the quantum of sentence against activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case lodged against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena when he headed an NGO in Gujarat. Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma reserved the order after noting that the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) submitted a victim impact report (VIR). The report is prepared after the conviction of an accused to assess the quantum of loss suffered by the victim. The offence entails a maximum punishment of simple imprisonment of up to two years or fine or both. Earlier on May 24, the court had observed that Patkar's statements calling Saxena a "coward" and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions were not only defamatory per se but also crafted to incite negative perceptions about him. Also, the accusation that the complainant was "mortgaging" the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests was a direct attack on his integrity and pub

Bengaluru court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case: Details

The City Civil Court in Bengaluru granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with the Karnataka defamation case filed against him by the state Bharatiya Janata Party unit

Hearing in defamation case against Rahul Gandhi rescheduled to June 18

An MP-MLA court here on Friday postponed the hearing in the 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged objectionable remarks targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi's lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla said due to the death of a lawyer, a condolence meeting was held in the court on Friday and the hearing was postponed to June 18. The Congress leader appeared in court in the defamation case in February and he was granted bail. The complaint against Gandhi was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra. Last December, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi. Subsequently, the Congress leader halted his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi on February 20, appeared in the court, and was granted bail. The complaint was filed on August 4, 2018, against Gandhi for his alleged objectionable comments against Shah made at a press conference in Bengaluru in May of that year during the Karnataka elections. The complainant referred to Gandhi's comments that the BJP claims t

Ex-Thai PM Shinawatra to be indicted for royal defamation, say prosecutors

Thai prosecutors on Wednesday said former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be indicted for defaming the monarchy, three months after he was freed on parole on other charges. Thaksin will not yet be indicted because he had filed a request to postpone his original appointment on Wednesday with proof that he has contracted COVID-19, said Prayuth Bejraguna, a spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, at a news conference. The attorney general's office scheduled a new appointment for Thaksin's indictment on June 18, Prayuth said, adding that Thaksin will also be indicted for violating the Computer Crime Act. Thaksin had been in self-imposed exile since 2008, but returned to Thailand in August last year to begin serving an eight-year sentence. He was released on parole in February from the hospital in Bangkok where he spent six months serving time for corruption-related offenses.

Delhi court refuses to summon Kejriwal in defamation case by BJP leader

A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to summon Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a criminal complaint filed by a BJP leader who accused him of defamation for claiming that AAP leaders were approached to join the saffron party in return for cash. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tanya Bamniyal, however, summoned AAP leader Atishi, saying "prima facie" there was sufficient evidence against her in the matter. The judge directed Atishi, a minister in the Kejriwal cabinet, to appear before the court on June 29. BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor had filed a case against Kejriwal and Atishi over poaching allegations made by the two. "Having considered the facts and circumstances, the testimonies of the complainant's witnesses, the evidence placed on record, it prima facie appears that the alleged accused no. 1 (Atishi) has made specific defamatory statements as aforementioned against the complainant," the judge said. Further, it prima facie appears that the aforesaid defamatory ...

Defamation case: SC to hear Kejriwal's plea against summons on May 13

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging a Delhi High Court order upholding the summons issued to him in a criminal defamation case for retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in May 2018. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta is likely to hear the matter in which Kejriwal has admitted that he "committed a mistake" by retweeting the alleged defamatory video. On March 11, the top court asked Kejriwal whether he wanted to give an apology to the complainant in the matter. Kejriwal on February 26 told the apex court that he made a mistake by retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Rathee related to the BJP IT Cell. The counsel appearing for complainant Vikas Sankrityayan has told the top court that Kejriwal may issue an apology on social media platforms like microblogging platform 'X' or Instagram. On February 26, the apex court, without issuing noti

Judge rejects Trump's bid for new trial in $83.3 mn E. Jean Carroll case

A federal judge in New York rejected Donald Trump's request for a new trial on Thursday after a jury awarded USD 83.3 million in damages to a longtime magazine columnist who sued the former president for defamation for calling her claim that he had sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store a lie. The judge rejected the former president's claims that the compensatory and punitive damages awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll in January were excessive. The January verdict came after Carroll, 80, an author and former advice columnist for Elle magazine, testified that Trump's public statements about her had led to death threats. Judge Lewis Kaplan said in his ruling on Thursday that the jury was entitled to find that the degree of reprehensibility of Trump's attacks against Carroll on social media was high. Far from being purely defensive,' there was evidence that Mr. Trump used the office of the presidency the loudest 'bully pulpit' in America and possibly the world to issu

Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi: UP court schedules hearing on April 2

A special court here on Friday postponed the hearing on a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to April 2 due a strike by lawyers. The defamation complaint against Gandhi was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra for his alleged objectionable remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah. The plaintiff's advocate, Santosh Pandey, said the hearing in the case was scheduled for Friday, but it was deferred to April 2 as lawyers abstained from court proceedings due to a strike over their various demands. The case was filed in August 2018. Last December, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi. Subsequently, Gandhi halted his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi on February 20 last and reached the court and was granted bail.

Defamation case against Smriti Irani: HC junks shooter Vartika Singh's plea

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed international shooter Vartika Singh's plea challenging an MP/MLA court order rejecting her defamation complaint against Union minister Smriti Irani. The Lucknow bench of the high court said that while replying to journalists' questions, if the petitioner was said to be associated with the Congress party or the "Gandhi family", it was not her defamation. The bench of Faiz Alam Khan passed the verdict on March 5 which was uploaded on Monday. Vartika Singh had filed a case in the Sultanpur MP/MLA court, accusing Irani of defamation. The case was dismissed by the special court on October 21, 2022. The petitioner had challenged the MP/MLA court's order in the high court. Singh's allegation was that when journalists asked Irani about the allegations made by the petitioner against her personal secretary, Irani described the petitioner as a "pawn" of the Congress and said she was having direct links with the Gandhi family. Quoting Irani's entire ...

Defamation case: SC asks CM Kejriwal whether he wants to give apology

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has challenged a Delhi High Court order upholding the summons issued to him as an accused in a criminal defamation case, whether he wanted to give an apology to the complainant in the matter. On February 26, Kejriwal told the apex court that he made a mistake by retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee related to the BJP IT Cell. During the hearing on Monday, a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was told by the counsel appearing for complainant Vikas Sankrityayan that Kejriwal may issue an apology on public platforms like microblogging platform 'X' or Instagram. "You tell us what you want. We can put it to the other side. We are not going to step into your shoes or the other side's shoes," the bench told the counsel. The bench said the complainant can give the format of the apology to Kejriwal. "So, if you want to give an apology, you can circulate it wit

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi granted bail in 2018 defamation case

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered its 38th day on Tuesday. The yatra will start from Fursantganj in Amethi district and will move towards Raebareli and Lucknow today

Rahul Gandhi gets bail in 2018 defamation case linked to Amit Shah

The matter pertains to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly calling Union Home Minister Amit Shah a murderer in his speech in 2018

Rahul to appear before court on Feb 20; Yatra to be paused: Jairam Ramesh

The complaint was filed by the then BJP District Vice President, Vijay Mishra

Court grants exemption to Kejriwal from personal appearance for day

A court here on Wednesday granted exemption to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from personal appearance for the day in a criminal defamation case for retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in May 2018. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tanya Bamniyal allowed the exemption plea moved by Kejriwal's counsel and directed him to appear before the court on February 29. The plea claimed that the chief minister was busy with "budget sessions". The Delhi High Court on February 5 had upheld the summons issued to Kejriwal by the trial court as an accused, saying that reposting alleged libelous content will attract the defamation law. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had said that a sense of responsibility has to be attached while retweeting content about which one does not have knowledge. Retweeting of defamatory content must invite penal, civil as well as tort action if the person retweeting it does not attach a disclaimer, the high court had ...

What next for Donald Trump after $88 million fine in defamation damages

For years, Donald Trump hurled insults at E. Jean Carroll, saying the advice columnist fabricated a sexual assault allegation against him to sell a book. Will Trump keep that up, now that he's been hit with a $83.3 million defamation judgment? A jury on Friday found that Trump had maliciously damaged Carroll's reputation in 2019 after she went public with her accusations. Jurors awarded her $18 million to compensate for the personal harm she experienced, then added $65 million more to punish Trump and maybe prevent him from continuing to go after her on social media. A different jury concluded last May that Trump was responsible for sexually abusing Carroll in a Manhattan department store dressing room in 1996. Those jurors awarded Carroll $5 million. If both judgments stand, Trump would owe her a total of $88.3 million. Trump and his lawyers have promised to appeal. A look at the verdict and where the case might go from here: THE ACCUSATION Carroll said she was shopping at the

Trump walks out of court during closing arguments of his defamation trial

Former President Donald Trump abruptly walked out on closing arguments at his defamation trial Friday as a lawyer for writer E Jean Carroll urged a jury to award her client at least USD 12 million damages, saying Trump had shattered her reputation and her world by unleashing a flood of hate toward her through his public statements branding her a liar. Just minutes after attorney Roberta Kaplan began her closing argument in Manhattan federal court, Trump suddenly rose from his seat at the defense table and walked toward the exit, pausing to scan the packed courtroom as members of the Secret Service leaped up to follow him out. The unexpected departure prompted Judge Lewis A Kaplan to speak up, briefly interrupting the closing argument to say: The record will reflect that Mr Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom. The walkout came only minutes after the judge, without the jury present, threatened to send Trump attorney Alina Habba to jail for continuing to talk when he told h

Donald Trump testifies in court against E Jean Carroll defamation trial

Donald Trump began testifying on Thursday in a New York defamation trial to determine how much he might owe the advice columnist E. Jean Carroll for disparaging her as a liar after she publicly accused him of a decades-old rape in 2019. I just wanted to defend myself, he said in testimony that lasted less than three minutes. Carroll, who is seeking over USD 10 million in damages, was in the courtroom as Trump was sworn in as a witness in Manhattan federal court. Carroll claims Trump ruined her reputation after she accused him for the first time publicly in a memoir of sexually abusing her in spring 1996 in the dressing room of a Manhattan luxury department store. Trump, 77, has vehemently denied the accusations for the last five years and continues to assail Carroll, 80, on the campaign trail as he pursued the presidency as the Republican frontrunner. US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in Manhattan has instructed jurors that they must accept the findings of another New York jury th

Trump may testify in Carroll sex abuse trial, court limits what he can say

Former President Donald Trump has told the public for years what he thinks of E. Jean Carroll, the writer who claims he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Now he has a chance to talk to a jury about her but within limits he might well test. Trump could testify as soon as Monday in the defamation trial over his 2019 comments branding Carroll a liar who faked a sexual attack to sell a memoir. He plans to be in court as the New York trial resumes after a weekend break. Because a different jury found last year that Trump sexually abused Carroll, US District Judge Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has ruled that if the former president takes the stand now, he won't be allowed to say she concocted her allegation or that she was motivated by financial or political considerations. But even while just watching the proceedings, the voluble ex-president and current Republican front-runner hasn't checked his contempt for the case. While Carroll testified last week, he complained to his lawyers about a

HC asks registry to inform Dhoni of defamation suit by ex-biz partners

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked its registry to inform former Team India cricket captain MS Dhoni about filing of a defamation suit against him by his two former business partners. Plaintiffs and former business partners Mihir Diwakar and his wife Soumya Das have approached the high court seeking a permanent injunction and damages against Dhoni, several social media platforms and media houses and thereby restraining them from making, publishing, circulating per se defamatory, ex facie false and malicious statements against them. Justice Prathiba M Singh, before whom the plaint came up for hearing, was informed that Dhoni has not been served with the plea by the plaintiffs. It is deemed appropriate to direct intimation to defendant no. 1 (Dhoni) of filing of the present suit. Let the registry issue an email to defendant no. 1 at the email address. The intimation be also given at the law firm representing him, the judge said. The high court listed the matter for further hearin