Journalist Tarun Tejpal instructed the Delhi Excessive Court docket on Friday that he’ll publish an apology in a nationwide every day saying that an Indian Military officer, in opposition to whom he had levelled allegations of corruption in defence procurement, had not accepted any cash, as reported by information company PTI. Tejpal is the proprietor of Tehelka.com.
Senior advocates Siddharth Luthra and Pramod Kumar Dubey, representing Tejpal and Bahal, submitted they’re prepared to deposit Rs 10 lakh every inside two weeks and to publish an unconditional apology in a nationwide English every day particularly stating that Ahluwalia had neither requested for nor accepted any cash. The counsel claimed they don’t have the means to pay an enormous quantity of Rs 2 crore to Ahluwalia.
This comes because the excessive court docket was listening to an attraction filed by Tejpal and its reporter Aniruddha Bahal difficult a single choose’s order awarding a compensation of Rs 2 crore to Main Common M S Ahluwalia for the lack of popularity suffered by him on account of a 2001 “expose” by the information portal alleging his involvement in corruption in defence procurement, as reported by PTI.
A bench of Appearing Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora took on report the enterprise made by Tejpal and Bahal’s attorneys. Based on PTI, the bench listed the attraction for listening to and disposal in April to resolve the quantum of damages to be paid by them.
The excessive court docket additionally stayed the proceedings within the petition Ahluwalia has filed searching for execution of the decree handed in his favour. The counsel for Ahluwalia contended that the attraction was not maintainable. He mentioned the officer lived with stigma for almost 22 years and a mere apology will not be sufficient. He additionally mentioned Tejpal and Bahal should deposit a “substantial” quantity.
The bench mentioned in a defamation matter like the current one, an apology is a significant aid and that it’s going to contemplate the side of quantum of damages when it hears the attraction.
On July 21, 2023, the only choose had, whereas deciding a lawsuit by the officer, directed that Rs 2 crore shall be paid by Tehelka.Com, its proprietor M/s Buffalo Communications, its proprietor Tarun Tejpal, and reporters Aniruddha Bahal and Mathew Samuel.
The choose underlined that there cannot be a extra blatant case of inflicting critical hurt to the popularity of an trustworthy Military officer and noticed that an apology after 23 years of publication was “not solely insufficient however is meaningless”.
The court docket, nonetheless, mentioned the plaintiff was unable to show any act of defamation on the a part of Zee Telefilms Ltd and its officers who telecast the story in query after an association with the information portal.
Based on PTI, the court docket had noticed that the plaintiff not solely confronted decreasing of estimation within the eyes of the general public however his character additionally bought maligned with critical allegations of corruption which no subsequent refutation can redress or heal.
The Case
On March 13, 2001, information portal Tehelka.com had carried a narrative alleging corruption in defence offers regarding import of latest defence gear, PTI reported. Based on the claims made by the plaintiff, he was defamed within the story “Operation West Finish” because it was wrongly broadcast and reported that he had accepted a bribe.
The only choose had rejected the defence of “reality”, “public good” and “good religion” pleaded by Tejpal and others and mentioned there couldn’t be a worse defamation to an individual of integrity than a “false imputation of him having demanded after which accepted a bribe of Rs 50,000”, as reported by PTI.
It had famous {that a} Court docket of Inquiry was initiated in opposition to the officer on account of such reporting, and though no misconduct was proved in opposition to him, he was awarded “critical displeasure,” a form of censure, for his alleged conduct.