Delhi High Court acquits Journalist in Defamation Case, says 'True Reporting is not Crime'
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court recently dismissed a defamation case filed against journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick over a 2010 article published in Times Magazine, stating that accurate reporting cannot be considered defamatory.
Justice Nina Bansal Krishna said, "The way a journalist or article writer presents facts is a matter of writing skill, but when the reported material is accurate, it cannot be considered defamatory."
Ravi Nair, who runs the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC), filed the complaint in November 2014. He objected to the journalist's article, "Accountability of India's Non-Profits Under Scrutiny," which was published on December 14, 2020. The article discussed alleged irregularities in the functioning of NGOs and "dishonesty" in India's large non-profit sector.
Nair's case was that the journalist allegedly defamed him by alleging that he and his organization were involved in money laundering in the article. Although he sent an email to the editor in 2010, the complaint was filed in 2014 after he learned from a former colleague that the article was freely available online.
Jammu Development Authority Demolishes 40-Year-Old House of Muslim Journalist, Hindu Neighbour Gifts Land #Jammujournalist #jammukashmir #Journalist #Media #Press https://t.co/AJNlN2bD6c
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) November 29, 2025
The complaint was filed against Nilanjana Bhowmick (then bureau chief of Times Magazine), an editor, blogger, and editor of the website ngopost.org, on which the article was later republished. In October 2018, the trial court summoned Bhowmick in the criminal defamation case, while the other cases were closed.
The journalist filed a petition in 2021 challenging the complaint and summons order. Granting relief to Bhowmick, Justice Krishna said that the reporting was factually correct and did not imply that Nair was guilty in the investigation initiated against his NGO.
The court stated, "To suggest that the complainant was being indirectly accused of certain actions reflects the complainant's oversensitive attitude. This would not be sufficient for defamation." It also stated that every individual has the right to cherish and vigorously protect their reputation, but it is not so fragile that it can be damaged by such reporting."
The court stated that Nair was attempting to build a defamation case simply by alleging that the article contained certain innuendos and statements. However, this alone is not sufficient to constitute a defamation case.
Horrific Story of a Palestinian female Journalist, Imprisoned in Israel for over 100 days #Palestine #Gaza #Israel https://t.co/7ev7tYLo5O
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) November 23, 2025
The judge stated, "In view of the above, it cannot be said that the two lines written against the complainant's NGO or the complainant were defamatory in themselves, when in reality, they merely stated something that the complainant disliked." Furthermore, it was observed that the complaint claiming defamation for an article first published in 2010 was barred by limitation because it was filed in 2014.
The court said, “In any case, it is noteworthy that the complainant was aware of the original article as early as December 2010, yet chose to remain silent for almost four years, until the complaint was filed on November 11, 2014. Therefore, it is held that the complaint was barred by limitation.”
“It is held that no offense of defamation has been made out against the petitioner, Nilanjana Bhowmick. Furthermore, the complaint is barred by limitation. Nilanjana Bhowmick is acquitted and the criminal complaint against the petitioner is quashed.” (courtesy: livelaw)
