Defamation: Apex Court seeks opinions of Centre, others

The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi Government on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of penal provisions relating to defamation and the city government’s recent circular on the issue.

A bench of justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant issued <g data-gr-id="18">notice</g> to the Ministry of Law and Justice and Delhi government on the plea of a <g data-gr-id="19">Thane-based</g> former judge and advocate. Vijay Pandurang Patil has also sought setting aside of the May 6 circular issued by the Delhi government on filing of defamation cases against media houses for any news that causes damage to its reputation or that of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his council of ministers.

The apex court, however, has already stayed the circular on an application filed by senior advocate Amit Sibal and asked the city government to explain why it was issued.

The bench tagged the matter with <g data-gr-id="14">other pending bunch</g> of petitions on the matter and listed it for hearing on July 8.