By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) Friday said the Supreme Court’s refusal to interfere in a Rs.100 crore defamation suit filed by a retired apex court judge involving TimesNow channel was severely detrimental to the media industry.
“We have been informed that conditions involving quantum of damages of this kind are unheard of in the history of defamation laws and effectively cripples the media’s right to seek redressal by way of appeal,” said a statement issued by IBF.
The apex court Monday declined to interfere with a Bombay High Court order directing Times Global Broadcasting Co to deposit Rs.20 crore with the high court registrar along with a Rs.80 crore bank guarantee in a Rs.100 crore defamation suit filed by a retired apex court judge.
The high court set the deposit money as a pre-condition for taking up the company’s appeal challenging the award of Rs.100 crore damages to former apex court judge P.B. Sawant by a Pune court.
“In a legal environment where awarding of exemplary and punitive damages are rarely seen, the trial court’s decision definitely raises serious concerns as regards the media’s freedom of speech and expression,” it said.
Raising the issue of media independence, IBF said: “If stipulations such as these become the norm, news channels would be targeted at every instance, thereby affecting the survival and existence of this news industry.
“IBF agrees that such decisions should be reviewed and reconsidered. Because if media is compelled to pay up damages of such quantum, despite the issuance of a public apology for inadvertent error, it would effectively cripple the functioning of the media,” the statement said.
“An economic burden of such nature would completely jeopardise media business as it directly impacts media freedom, independence and survival, the very essentials of a democratic set up in the country,” it added.