Shashwati Chowdhury
Published on: June 24, 2022 at 16:57 IST
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed Defamation proceedings brought against Public TV, a Kannada news channel, and HR Ranganath, the channel’s chief patron. It was initiated based on a private complaint that alleged many media entities had spoken ill about the whole advocate’s fraternity at large.
Justice Hemant Chandangoudar’s single-judge Bench allowed the Petition.
Advocate Bannadi Somanath Hegde had filed a private complaint under Section 200 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) against the petitioners and other defendants for the offence punishable under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), alleging that several media entities had spoken ill about the legal profession at large. After recording the complainant’s sworn statement, the magistrate took cognizance the aforesaid offence and issued summons to the petitioners and other accused.
In order to maintain the complaint for the offence punishable under Section 499 of the IPC, Senior Advocate M.S.Shyam Sundar representing the petitioners stated that the complainant is not an aggrieved person as defined section 499 of the IPC.
The Bench took note of the complaint’s allegation that sections of Media have spoken ill about the advocate’s fraternity, which is defamation under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC. It made reference to the ruling by the Apex court in the case of S Khushboo v. Kanniammal & Anr.
The Bench therefore ruled. In order to maintain the complaint for the offence punishable under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC and to allow the quashing petition, the complainant is not an aggrieved person as defined by Section 198 of the Cr.P.C.