Delhi High Court Awards Rs. 5 Lakh in Defamation Case Against Social Media User
T.V. Today Network Limited Wins Defamation Suit over Unsubstantiated Tweets
In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has awarded T.V. Today Network Limited general compensatory damages of Rs. 5,00,000/- in a defamation suit against Anurag Srivastava, associated with Ielectrix India Private Limited. The court presided over by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav found that Srivastava published defamatory and unsubstantiated statements on social media, which tarnished the reputation of the plaintiff company and its news anchor.
The suit, filed by T.V. Today Network Limited, which is part of the well-reputed India Today Group, revolved around several defamatory tweets published by Srivastava. These tweets, which targeted one of the plaintiff company's prominent anchors, Rajdeep Sardesai, were deemed highly defamatory and caused significant financial loss and reputational damage to the company. The defamatory content included false and abusive statements and unfounded allegations against the company and its employees.
Despite the defendant taking down the defamatory tweets and undertaking not to publish any further defamatory content, the court awarded T.V. Today Network Limited Rs. 5,00,000/- in general compensatory damages. The court emphasized the importance of addressing irresponsible and defamatory acts, underscoring the need for adequate compensation to the affected party.
Justice Kaurav noted in his oral judgment that the defendant's actions were irresponsible and deserving of condemnation. He further emphasized that while there is no fixed mathematical formula for quantifying defamation damages, the principle of general damages should be applied based on the specific facts and gravity of defamation in each case.
The court cited prior judgments to determine appropriate compensation, including a recent case where general compensatory damages of Rs. 2,00,000/- were awarded for defamation. However, given the gravity of the defamatory statements made by the defendant in this case and the resulting financial loss, emotional hardship, and reputational damage suffered by the plaintiff, the court deemed it fitting to award Rs. 5,00,000/- as compensation.
The suit initially sought a decree of permanent injunction against the defendant, along with damages amounting to Rs. 2,00,00,100/-. However, the suit was narrowed down to focus solely on the issue of damages after the defamatory tweets were removed by the defendant, who also undertook not to post any further defamatory content against the plaintiff company.
As the proceedings unfolded, the court noted that the defendant had proceeded ex parte, with no representation during the hearings. Despite the removal of defamatory content, the court found that the damage to the plaintiff's reputation had already occurred, as evidenced by a decline in the company's total income in the financial year 2020-21. The court has decided that both parties will bear their own costs.
Bottom Line:
Defamation - General damages awarded in case of defamatory and unsubstantiated statements made on social media, causing harm to the reputation and credibility of the plaintiff company.
Statutory provision(s): Not explicitly mentioned in the judgment provided.
