An article alleging that the principal of a Delhi-based Christian minority school had engaged in sexual activities with students, staff members and others, had been in the news in June 2023. On August 18, the Delhi High Court asked two news publications to remove the article.
Justice Jyoti Singh presided over the case. The court held that the article was published by both publications recklessly and without factual verification, which tarnished the reputation of the school principal, an esteemed figure associated with various educational institutions, as per a report by IANS.
The plaintiff argued that the article was meant to harm his reputation and the reputation of the missionaries, as well as to obstruct his upcoming promotion. The court acknowledged the importance of protecting an individual's reputation and the right to reputation as a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
"It underscored that freedom of speech and expression, enshrined under Article 19(1)(a), must be balanced against the right of an individual's reputation, which can be affected by defamatory content," the court said. It also observed that a police complaint filed against the two publications was pending inquiry. Then, an ex-parte ad-interim injunction was issued against the two publications, as per IANS.
