Maran v. Rathinaraj
Case Law- Country
- Country Location
Latitud: 23.078537445745496
Longitud: 78.60363571015989
- Country Location (vinculado Case Law)
- India
- Decision Date
- 14 feb 2017
- Case Status
- Cerrado
- Case Outcome (Procedural)
- Motion Granted
- Reversed Lower Court
- Case Outcome (Disposition)
- Judgment in Favor of Defendant
- Keywords
- Defamation
- Freedom of Expression
- Judicial Body
- Appellate Court
- Case Number
- 2017-1-LW(Crl) 637
- Case Summary
The High Court of Madras ruled that vicarious liability for defamation does not apply to the broadcast of an interview on television. An individual had laid a charge of criminal defamation against Kalinathi Maran – the owner of the Indian SUN TV network – in respect of an interview broadcast on SUN TV of which Maran had no knowledge. The Magistrates Court had found Maran guilty, but the High Court quashed the Magistrates Court's ruling, holding that vicarious liability under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 is not applicable to electronic media and that, as there was no evidence that Maran had intended to harm any individual's reputation, he could not be guilty of defamation.
- Case Significance
The decision establishes a binding or persuasive precedent within its jurisdiction.
- Source Name and URL
- Columbia Global Freedom of Expression