Thread by @LiveLawIndia

Delhi High Court will hear today a defamation suit filed by former cricketer and BJP MP Gautam Gambhir against hindi newspaper Punjab Kesari for allegedly publishing defamatory and false articles against him.

#DelhiHighCourt #Defamation #GautamGambhir @GautamGambhir

Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will hear the matter.

Gambhir has sought an unconditional written apology from the newspaper for publishing certain “malicious and false publications” against him and damages of Rs. 2 crores.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

The defamation suit has been filed by Gambhir over certain articles published by the newspaper since last year. The news reports include “Sansad Gautam Gambhir Lapata Gali-Gali Me Lage Poster” and “Ye Naye Mijaz ke Sansad hai Jara Faaslo se Mila Karo.”

In the interim, Gambhir seeks a direction upon #PunjabKesari to immediately withdraw the allegedly defamatory publications made against him and also to restrain the newspaper from making any similar publication, till the pendency of the suit.

#Defamation #DelhiHighCourt

Hearing commences.

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None appeared for the parties. Matter passed over.

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Matter taken up. Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai appears for Gambhir.

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Dehadrai: My prayer is that the defendants is targeting me. It has happened over seven distinct articles, it's not situation of fair or objective reporting. The articles are deeply malicious. This is perhaps at the behest of someone else.

#GautamGambhir #Defamation

Dehadrai: I ignored it on multiple occasions.

Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao appears for defendants.

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Dehadrai takes the court through the articles in question.

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Dehadrai: It sounds a little comical.

Dehadrai is reading relevant portions from one of the articles published by Punjab Kesari.

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Court: If the reporter has gone into the area and found such kind of comments....

Dehadrai: It has been held in various judgments that before publishing, you've to ask me. Nothing has been asked from me.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Court: You are a public servant, you need not be so sensitive.

Dehadrai now refers to another article.

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Dehadrai: Kindly note the kind of language used.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Dehadrai: He (reporter) is connecting to bad performance and refering to "laapata saansad" who caused it.

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Dehadrai: The reporter himself has made a value judgment against me.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Dehadrai refers to another article, says "this is the worst."

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Dehadrai: Nobody bothers to come and ask me....I need to just show your lordships one more article. This is also the worst.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Dehadrai: This isn't objective reporting. This publication and this reporter has some kind of a mission. Material to somehow tarnish my reputation. Its not a small publication. I then send them a legal notice in November last year.

Dehadrai: I concede to what your lordships said in beginning that I need not be so sensitive, but can it possibly be that two reporters in same style keep attacking me? That he is busy with IPL, he is a useless politician who shouldn't be taken seriously. It's disturbing. Any… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Dehadrai refers to another publication.

This is another article targeting my PA. False allegation, no FIR but my name is dragged in this. I am a public servant, my reputation really matters to me.

Dehadrai: I want them to be restrained from publishing anything against me unless they ask something from me.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Court: In the prima facie, i am satisfied that the matter requires consideration and summons must be issued.

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Dehadrai: Kindly come to my application for interim relief.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Court: Any public person should be thick skinned. Otherwise social media etc. Nowadays judges should also be thick skinned.

Dehadrai: Yes but there has to be some lakshman rekha.

#DelhiHighCourt #GautamGambhir #Defamation

Court: If you read the articles, the words and sentences used, in the prima facie opinion, the reporter is behind this person. Some of the words and sentences that he has used is not proper for your publication.

Dehadrai: My request is, out of seven articles, there can be some play in terms of languages, some words could have used in a better way. But some words.... It has caused me a lot of anguish. They are saying i am treating others like untouchables.

Dehadrai: I must inform your lordships, why I didn't come sooner, i have a thick skinned. I waited. They tried to reach me through other channels.

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Court: Let written submissions be filed.

Issue notice in interim injunction application.

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