Supreme Court judgements on Civil and Criminal Defamation

 

# No.

Cause Title

Year

Media involved

Nature

1.     

Bathina Ramakrishna Reddy v. State of Madras

1952

Weekly periodical

Criminal

2.     

M.S.M. Sharma v. Sri Krishna Sinha and Ors.

1958

Daily newspaper

Criminal

3.     

Dr. Jatish Chandra Ghosh v. Hari Sadhan Mukherjee and Ors.

1961

Newspaper

Criminal

4.     

Sahib Singh Mehra v. State of Uttar Pradesh

1965

Newspaper

Criminal

5.     

Harbhajan Singh v. State of Punjab

1965

Weekly Magazine

Criminal

6.     

Perspective Publications (P) Ltd. and Anr. V. State of Maharashtra

1968

Weekly Periodical

Criminal

7.     

Sewakram Sobhani v. R.K. Karanjia, Chief Editor, Weekly Blitz and Ors.

1981

Newspaper

Criminal

8.     

R. Rajagopal alias R.R. Gopal and Anr. V. State of Tamil Nadu and Ors.

1994

Magazine

Criminal

9.     

Shatrughna Prasad Sinha v. Rajbhau Surajmal Rathi and Ors.

1996

Magazine

Criminal

10.  

Jawaharlal Darda and Ors. v. Manoharrao Ganpatrao and Anr.

1998

Newspaper

Criminal

11.  

John Thomas v. D.K. Jagadeesan

2001

Newspaper

Criminal

12.  

In re: Arundhati Roy

2002

Magazine and book

Criminal

13.  

Ch. Ramoji Rao, Chairman Ramoji Group of Companies and Anr. v. State of A.P

2006

Television broadcast

Criminal

14.  

S. Khushboo v. Kanniammal and Anr.

2010

Magazine

Criminal

15.  

Jeffrey J. Diermeir and Anr. v. State of West Bengal and Anr.

2010

Public Notice

Criminal

16.  

Shreya Singhal v. Union of India

2015

Internet

Criminal

17.  

Subramanian Swamy v. Union of India

2016

General

Criminal

18.  

P.C. Joshi and Anr. V. the State of Uttar Pradesh

1960

Weekly newspaper

Criminal

19.  

Gour Chandra Rout and Anr. v. The Public Prosecutor, Cuttack

1962

Daily newspaper

Criminal

20.  

The State of Maharashtra v. R. B. Choudhary and Ors.

1964

Weekly publication

Criminal

21.  

Kanhaiyalal Khadiwala v. Vishwanath

1966

Monthly Journal

Criminal

22.  

State of Maharashtra v. Dr. R.B. Choudhary

1967

Weekly publication

Criminal

23.  

Shri C.K. Daphtary and Ors. v. Shri O.P. Gupta and Ors.

1971

Pamphlet

Criminal

24.  

Balraj Khanna v. Moti Ram

1971

(Unclear)

Criminal

25.  

G. Narsimhan, G. Kasturi and K. Gopalan Ors. v. T.V. Chokappa

1972

Newspaper

Criminal

26.  

Madhu Limaye v. The State of Maharashtra

1977

Press handout

Criminal

27.  

K.M. Mathew v. K.A. Abraham and Ors.

2002

Newspapers

Criminal

28.  

Gambhirsinh R. Dekare v. Falgunbhai Chimanbhai Patel and Anr.

2013

Newspaper

Criminal

29.  

P.S. Meheromji v. K.T. Vijay Kumar

2014

Letter

Criminal

30.  

Indrajit Lankesh v. K.T. Dhanu Kumar

2015

Newspaper

Criminal

31.  

Rajdeep Sardesai v. State of Andhra Pradesh

2015

Multiple media, including newspapers and News Channel

Criminal

32.  

S.R. Sukumar v. S. Sunaad Raghuram

2015

(Unclear – poem/publication)

Criminal

33.  

P.M. Nalini v. K.M. Matthew

1988

Weekly magazine

Criminal

34.  

K.M. Mathew v. State of Kerala and Anr.

1991

Daily Newspaper

Criminal

35.  

M.A. Rumugam v. Kittu alias Krishnamoorthy

2008

Newspapers

Criminal

36.  

G.X. Francis And Ors. vs Banke Bihari Singh And Anr.

1958

Newspapers

Criminal

37.  

Sukra Mahto vs Basdeo Kumar Mahto &. Anr

1971

Newspapers

Criminal

38.  

Rajendra Sail v. Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association and Ors.

2005

Newspapers

Criminal

39.  

Sanjoy Narayan Editor-in-Chief Hindustan and Ors. v. Hon. High Court of Allahabad thr. R.G.

2011

Newspapers

Criminal (Contempt)

40.  

In Re: S. Mulgaokar

1978

Newspapers

Criminal (Contempt); defamation of judges

41.  

State of Haryana v. Balwant Singh

2003

(Minor but important principle discussed)

Civil

42.  

Government of Tamil Nadu v. Badrinath and Ors.

1988

Newspapers

Civil/Service

43.  

Melepurath Sankunni Ezhuthassan v. Thekittil Geopalankutty Nair

1985

Unclear, but important point discussed

Civil

44.  

Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd. and Anr. v. Parshuram Babaram Sawant

2011

Telecast

Civil

45.  

Joseph M. Puthussery v. T.S. John and Ors.

2010

Journals

Civil

46.  

Dr. Subramaniam Swamy v. Ramakrishna Hegde

1989

Press Conference/Newspapers

Civil

47.  

M.J. Zakharia Sait v. T.M. Mohammed and Ors.

1990

Newspaper

Civil

48.  

Naresh Shridhar Mirajkar and Ors. v. State of Maharashtra and Anr.

1965

Weekly publication

Civil

49.  

Dr. Mehmood Nayyar Azam v. State of Chattisgarh and ors.

2010

Photograph

Criminal

50.  

West Bengal State Electricity Board v. Dilip Kumar Ray

2006

Newspapers

Civil

 

 

 

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