SC drops defamation proceedings against editor

New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) The Supreme Court today quashed the defamation proceedings pending against ETV editor-in-chief M G S Ramakrishna and others in a local court in Hyderabad.

The proceedings were initiated by the Andhra Pradesh Government against the channel for making derogatory references against Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy and other ministers and bureaucrats who accompanied him during his private visit to his holiness Puttaparthi Sai Baba.

A bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, disposed of the petition of the editor and programme anchor Kalyani, holding that in view of the apology tendered by ETV Chairman Ramoji Rao, and the apology having been telecast, nothing survives.

The editor-in-chief of Enadu newspaper has challenged the state High Court judgment dated June 27, 2006, dismissing the plea of the petitioners under section 482 CrPC for quashing the criminal complaint of the state public prosecutor, initiating defamation proceedings against the petitioner.

Mr Rao had challenged the proceedings on the grounds that there were no allegations against him in the entire complaint and he had no control over the telecast of daily programmes and he was not personally involved in the telecast of the alleged derogatory and defamatory programme on ETV-II.

The same bench also stayed the criminal proceedings pending against The Pioneer editor-in-chief, Chandan Mitra, who is also facing proceedings in six cases of defamation, under section 500 IPC, pending in the court of Judicial Magistrate, Hyderabad.

The court also issued notices to the state of Andhra Pardesh on the petition of Mr Mitra.

UNI AKS/SC SHB RS2121