The Delhi High Court has issued notice to newspaper ‘The Times of India’ and other Respondents over an article published in the leading English daily on October 19, 2010, allegedly defaming a BJP leader.
The single-judge bench of Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the respondents on Tuesday and fixed January 24 as the next date of hearing.
Earlier on November 15, 2011, the High Court had issued notice to The Times of India and other respondents.
Mittal was represented by Advocate Gagan Gandhi before the High Court.
On December 9, 2010, BJP leader and businessman Sudhanshu Mittal had filed a defamation complaint against Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd for the report carried on The Times of India’s website on October 19, 2010, titled ‘CWG scam: CBI raids BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal’s house’.
He had alleged that the ‘irresponsible’ publication was working with a pre-determined agenda to defame him.
Mittal said that CBI had never raided his premises and thus, the heading/ title of the news article was factually incorrect.
The complaint further challenged the veracity of the contents of the article and stated that the article caused damage to both Mittal’s business interests and social repute.
As per the plea filed by Mittal, “A news article was published on the Internet Portal of Times of India on October 19, 2010 about a raid/search conducted by the Income Tax Department at the premises of the petitioner in relation to alleged tax evasion in works related to
Commonwealth Games.”
“However, in the heading/title of the said news article, CBI was published instead of the Income Tax Department. It is relevant to note that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) never raided the premises of the petitioner, however, the Respondents mentioned the same in its article,” it added.
The petitioner said the respondents had issued an apology, after which the case was dismissed at the Trial Court.
However, the Times Group, including the website and the newspaper, again published defamatory articles against him on October 16, 2022 and November 16, 2021, despite the Trial Court order of November 17, 2011, which barred them from doing so, noted Mittal.
He said on October 16, 2022, www.timesofindia.com published an article on its website with the title “ED attached Rs. 1,300 crore assets ties to real estate firm Ireo, its MD,” wherein intentionally and malafidely with a view to attract larger number of viewers, it has been mentioned that “Goyal is a close relative of BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal, who has denied connection any with Ireo, except that it is owned and managed by his relatives”.
The same story was also published by Respondents/Contemnors in the Times of India print edition, whereby it was printed in bold letters in the description to the article that “Ireo MD Lalit Goyal is a close relative of BJP neta Sudhanshu Mittal, who has denied having any connection with Ireo, except that it is owned & managed by his relatives”.
The petitioner alleged that the Respondents undermined the authority of the court by bluntly violating and disregarding the order passed by the
Trial Court in the case.