Delhi HC awards Rs 2 cr to Army officer in case against news portal

New Delhi:The Delhi High Court has awarded Rs 2 crore to an Indian Army officer for the loss of reputation suffered by him on account of a 2001 “expose” by a news portal alleging his involvement in corruption in defence procurement.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, while deciding a lawsuit by Major General M S Ahluwalia, on Friday directed that the amount

shall be paid by Tehelka.Com, its owner M/s Buffalo Communications, its proprietor Tarun Tejpal and two reporters, Aniruddha Bahal and Mathew Samuel. Stating that there can’t be a more blatant case of causing serious harm to the reputation of an honest army officer, the judge observed that an apology after 23 years of publication was “not only inadequate but is meaningless”.

The court, however, said the plaintiff was not able to prove any act of defamation on the part of Zee Telefilm Ltd and its officials by telecasting the story in question following an arrangement with the news portal. The court observed that the plaintiff not only faced lowering of estimation in the eyes of the public but his character also got maligned with serious allegations of corruption.