LI Network
Published on: December 13, 2023 at 11:28 IST
A Kerala court has granted Rs. 10 lakhs in compensation to a well-known psychologist who became the target of defamatory statements made by an assistant professor at St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri.
The defamation suit, presided over by Additional Sub Judge-I, Thrissur, Rajeevan Vachal, ruled in favor of the psychologist, who serves as a licensed Rehabilitation Psychologist at Lakshmi Hospital, Alappuzha.
The defendant, also working in the psychology field, alleged that the plaintiff was a fraudulent and fake psychologist, and went on to claim that the plaintiff’s qualification certificates were forged. These accusations were disseminated through a widely-publicized Facebook post.
The psychologist filed a defamation suit, contending that the false statements tarnished his public reputation and had adverse financial implications. Seeking compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs along with future interest at 12% per annum and an additional Rs. 1,000 as the cost of the demand notice, the plaintiff presented his case before the court.
The defendant, in his defense, asserted the justification by truth, maintaining that he shared the information on social media in good faith and with a bona fide intention.
After examining the evidence presented by the defendant, the court concluded that he failed to prove the truth of the statements made on Facebook regarding the educational and professional qualifications of the plaintiff.
The court also noted that the defendant had reiterated these false statements about the psychologist being a fake professional.
Recognizing the challenges in quantifying damages, particularly in matters affecting the reputation of a professional, the court found no grounds to deny the compensation claimed by the plaintiff.
The court ruled, “Hence, this court can rightly come to a conclusion that the plaintiff is entitled to compensation of Rs. 10,00,000/ (Rupees Ten lakh only) with interest @ 6% per annum from the date of the plaint from the defendant.” Additionally, the plaintiff was awarded costs of the suit from the defendant.