How Can We Quash Order? SC To Kannada Channel That Dragged Ramya's Name In IPL Spot Fixing Scam

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by a Kannada TV channel to quash a defamation complaint filed by actress-politician Ramya aka Divya Spandana. The case is related to allegations of her involvement in the IPL spot fixing scandal.

On Friday, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra heard the petition from the Kannada news channel, challenging the Karnataka High Court's decision to uphold the criminal defamation complaint. The Supreme Court observed that the news bulletin in question repeatedly displayed Spandana's photos and videos, leading to the decision not to quash the defamation proceedings, Live Law reported.

Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked, "She has been repeatedly mentioned in the bulletin, her photos and videos were being shown in the telecast. How can we quash the order?"

The counsel for the petitioners argued that the telecast did not explicitly mention Spandana's involvement in the betting scam. However, the bench found no grounds to entertain the matter further, stating, "We cannot quash the complaint. We will not entertain the SLP."

Spandana's defamation case, filed under Section 500 of the IPC, centers on a news bulletin titled "Betting Queens," which allegedly suggested her involvement in the betting scandal. The trial court, after recording the complainant's sworn statement, issued a summons to the accused on June 13, 2016.

In a 2019 ruling, the court awarded Rs 50,00,000 in compensation to Ramya and granted a permanent injunction against the channel. The injunction prevents the channel from telecasting any program related to Spandana without proof of her involvement in match-fixing or other criminal activities. The court emphasized, "It is a settled principle of law that reputation is a most valuable asset of any person. It is much more valuable than any amount of money."

This decision reaffirms the importance of responsible journalism and the protection of individuals' reputations from unfounded allegations.