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The Supreme Court of India (SC) on Monday placed a stay on the criminal defamation proceeding against Jaideep Bose, the editorial director of Bennett Coleman and Company Limited, publishers of The Times of India. Bose approached the apex court after the Karnataka High Court declined to quash the proceedings against him, even though it had quashed proceedings against the company itself. The bench was led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and included two other SC judges.
The case, initiated in 2014, stems from an accusation that Bose and others published a defamatory article in The Times of India concerning an artwork auction, where it was suggested that certain celebrated artists’ works were forgeries. Bose contends that the information in the article was expert opinion, not defamation. Further details on the Supreme Court’s stay order can be found here.
The high court case, titled Bennett Coleman And Co Ltd & Others v. M/s Bid And Hammer Auctioneers Private Limited, saw the court quash proceedings against the company since the complaint contained no allegations involving the company directly in the purported defamatory article. However, the proceedings against Bose continued until this recent intervention by the Supreme Court.
The Indian Constitution, under Article 19(1)(a), protects the press and media, ensuring freedom of speech and expression. Additionally, the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 oversees the regulation of printing presses and newspapers in India.
More details can be read on the JURIST news page.
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