In a recent defamation case, D.B. Corp Limited, the publisher of the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, informed the Delhi High Court that it would remove the photo and name of BJP Spokesperson and Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli from a controversial video linked to a sting operation conducted by its reporters.
The case was heard by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who was overseeing the defamation suit filed by Nalin Kohli against Dainik Bhaskar, its journalists, X Corp (formerly Twitter), and other individuals.
The suit raised serious allegations, stating that Dainik Bhaskar had released a video and article which falsely connected Kohli to the creation and spread of fake news aimed at political leaders. Kohli described the content as "false and unsubstantiated", and argued that it wrongly linked him with fabricated media campaigns.
“The publication not only falsely attributed and insinuated my involvement in the fabrication and distribution of fake images and social media campaigns, but also irresponsibly juxtaposed my image alongside the defamatory narrative,” Kohli said in the suit.
Senior Advocate Aman Lekhi, representing Kohli, and the legal counsel for Dainik Bhaskar and its two journalists, appeared before the Court and confirmed that both parties had reached an out-of-court settlement on the matter of the disputed content.
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As part of this agreement, the newspaper group committed to removing:
- Nalin Kohli’s photograph from the questioned video.
- References to his name in the video, which would be beeped out.
- His name in the article published on their platform.
Additionally, the publication agreed to issue a corrigendum in both English and Hindi on their website and on their official X (Twitter) handle. Kohli’s counsel further emphasized that since the article and video had remained publicly accessible for seven days, the corrigendum should be given equal visibility for the same duration.
“The corrigendum will be displayed on the top news section of the website and will stay there for seven days,” assured Dainik Bhaskar’s counsel, based on instructions from the publishing house.
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Following these statements, the Delhi High Court disposed of the suit as far as Dainik Bhaskar and its two journalists were concerned. The Court also made it clear that the parties would remain bound by the terms of the agreement presented in Court.
Moreover, the counsel for Dainik Bhaskar mentioned that another co-defendant, who had left the company on April 15, had already taken down the controversial post and video from his personal X handle.
The Court issued an injunction against this defendant, prohibiting him from reposting or sharing the impugned video or post in any form in the future, and disposed of the case against him as well.
The defamation suit initially sought ₹2 crores in damages from the defendants, along with the removal and prevention of further circulation of the defamatory content. While the case is now closed concerning certain parties, Kohli had approached the Court seeking interim relief to take down the video and related articles immediately.
Kohli expressed strong objection to a post published by Dainik Bhaskar, which included a video linked to the sting operation and provided a link to a detailed report on its official website.
As per the suit, the content had also included statements from one Vijay Sharma, who claimed to have had "dealings" with Kohli regarding fake media campaigns allegedly targeting leaders of the Indian National Congress Party, including Rahul Gandhi, late Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Sonia Gandhi.
“Defamatory statements were made by Vijay Sharma to the Dainik Bhaskar Team and broadcasted without any proper verification on the Dainik Bhaskar website and X platform,” the suit stated.
With the corrigendum to be published, and agreed-upon removals to be carried out, the Court concluded proceedings concerning Dainik Bhaskar, its reporters, and the ex-employee who had shared the content online.
Title: NALIN SATYAKAM KOHLI v. D.B. CORP LIMITED & ORS
