Page 2 - Defamation

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 ...

Court rejects Rahul Gandhi's plea for plaintiff's lineage in Savarkar case

A court has dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking details of Satyaki Savarkar's maternal lineage in a defamation case over alleged remarks against VD Savarkar during a 2023 London speech

TMC MP Saket Gokhale agrees to apologise in Lakshmi Puri defamation case

The Delhi High Court has put the payment of ₹50 lakh in damages that Gokhale has to pay on hold for now

Delhi HC rejects TMC MP Saket Gokhale's plea to recall defamation order

Former diplomat Lakshmi Puri had filed a lawsuit against Saket Gokhale after he alleged that she bought property in Switzerland that was disproportionate to her income

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

Court dismisses plea to prosecute AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj for defamation

A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed a plea filed by a BJP leader seeking prosecution of Aam Aadmi Party's Saurabh Bhardwaj for alleged defamatory remarks against him in September 2018. Special Judge Vishal Gogne rejected the petition filed by BJP's Suraj Bhan Chauhan against a trial court order which had earlier dismissed his complaint against Bhardwaj. Chauhan had alleged Bhardwaj defamed him in 2018 by falsely claiming at a press conference that an FIR had been lodged against him. "The criminal revision petition is dismissed," the judge said on Saturday. The complaint was filed before the Rouse Avenue court in December 2024. A magisterial court had on February 19 dismissed Chauhan's plea, saying the alleged offence of defamation took place in September 2018 and observed the limitation period for filing the present complaint was three years. None of the grounds, the magistrate said, pleaded by Chauhan to seek the condonation of delay were found justifiable. "The complainant is

Delhi court dismisses BJP MP's defamation complaint against party MLA

A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed a criminal defamation complaint filed by a Derjeeling BJP MP against a party MLA saying the latter had expressed his grievance which wasn't defamation else the right to freedom of speech and expression would be meaningless. Additional chief judicial (ACJM) Neha Mittal dismissed the complaint filed by Raju Bista while refusing to take cognisance of the matter against Bishnu Prasad Sharma. "The proposed accused has expressed his grievance that no actions were taken by the complainant on the issues raised by him. Such an expression also cannot amount to the offence of defamation, else the right of freedom of speech and expression would become meaningless. The statements made by the proposed accused were pertaining to the conduct of the complainant relevant to the discharge of official functions, he being a public figure and hence, the same cannot amount to defamation," the judge said. Sharma, the complainant alleged, harmed his reputation by making

'Order appears arbitrary, not lawful': YouTuber on Sadhguru video takedown

The Delhi HC ordered the removal of Shyam Meera Singh's YouTube video, mentioning that it defamed Isha Foundation and its founder, spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Delhi HC orders YouTuber to remove 'defamatory' video against Sadhguru

Shyam Meera Singh uploaded the video, titled "Sadhguru EXPOSED: What's happening in Jaggi Vasudev's Ashram", on February 24 and shared it on his 'X' page

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

UP court summons Rahul on March 24 over defamatory remarks against army

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by a court here over his alleged defamatory remarks against the army in December 2022 during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma fixed March 24 as the date for the next hearing in the case. Gandhi will have to be present in the court. Earlier, on behalf of Uday Shankar Srivastava, former director of Border Roads Organisation -- a rank equivalent to that of a colonel in the army -- lawyer Vivek Tiwari had filed a defamation complaint against Gandhi. According to the lawyer, Gandhi made the alleged derogatory comments on December 16, 2022, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. While talking to some mediapersons, he made the objectionable comments on the clash between the Indian and the Chinese armies on December 9, 2022. The complainant has alleged that Gandhi's statements were derogatory and defamed the Indian Army, the lawyer said.

FIR lodged against Rahul in Odisha for making 'anti-national' statement

An FIR has been registered against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Odisha's Jharsuguda district for allegedly making an "anti-national" statement, a senior police officer said on Saturday. The FIR was registered on Friday based on a complaint lodged by members of BJP, its youth wing, RSS, Bajrang Dal, of Jharsuguda district against Gandhi to IGP Northern Range, Himanshu Lal on February 5, the officer said. An FIR has been registered against Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, at Jharsuguda police station (case No 31) under section 152 (criminalizes acts that threaten India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity), 197(1) (d) (for making or publishing false or misleading information that threatens India's unity, sovereignty, integrity, or security) of BNS, the officer said. The complaint alleged that Gandhi has been deliberately making anti-national statements which hurt each and every Indian individual. The IGP forwarded the complaint to Jharsuguda SP Parmar Smit Parshottamd

BJP MP Parvesh Verma files Rs 100 cr defamation suit against Kejriwal, Mann

Delhi election: Parvesh Verma accused AAP leaders of influencing voters through the distribution of CCTV cameras from Chinese manufacturers, liquor, and cash

Rahul Gandhi defamation case: Hearing deferred again due to lawyers' strike

The hearing in the defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was adjourned again due to the continuing strike of lawyers. Plaintiff Vijay Mishra's counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey said the special MP-MLA judge Shubham Verma set January 30 as the next date of hearing to complete the cross-examination in the case. Mishra, a local BJP politician, filed a defamation complaint against Gandhi in 2018 in the court alleging that during the Karnataka elections, the Congress leader made an offensive remark about BJP leader Amit Shah which hurt his sentiments. The case was pending for five years, and when Gandhi failed to appear, the court issued a warrant in December, 2023, summoning him. While Gandhi surrendered in court in February, 2024, his statement was recorded on July 26, 2024. The special magistrate granted him bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each. During his appearance in court, Gandhi claimed innocence and said a political conspiracy was being plotted against him. The court

SC halts defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over Amit Shah-remarks

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Gandhi, argued that only the aggrieved person could file a criminal defamation case, not a proxy party, halting proceedings

It Ends with Us row: Justin Baldoni sues Lively, Reynolds for $400 mn

Justin Baldoni has sued Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for $400 million over allegations of defamation and invasion of privacy, along with a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times

I still have life threat, DK Shivakumar planned something: BJP's CT Ravi

The case against Ravi was filed by Karnataka Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar who alleged that CT Ravi used derogatory words against her

Goa CM's wife files Rs 100 cr defamation suit against AAP MP Sanjay Singh

Sulakshana Pramod Sawant filed the defamation suit in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court in Bicholim, Goa, against Sanjay Singh