ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF PETITIONER ........................... 9
ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF RESPONDENT NO. 2 ........... 12
THE ORDERS IMPUGNED BEFORE THIS COURT ............... 13
ANALYSIS & FINDINGS................................................................ 18
I. ARGUMENT THAT THE COMPLAINT WAS WITHDRAWN
EARLIER .......................................................................................... 18
II. THE OFFENCE OF DEFAMATION ...................................... 21
Meaning and Definition ............................................................................... 21
Provisions of Law ......................................................................................... 23
Essential Ingredients to Constitute Offence of Defamation .................. 25
Issuance of Process/Summons vis-a-vis Offence of Defamation:
Material Considerations ............................................................................... 28
III. BALANCING CRITICAL YET COMPETING INTERESTS:
FREEDOM OF SPEECH & EXPRESSION Vs PROTECTING A
PERSON FROM REPUTATIONAL INJURY .............................. 31
IV. MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF ADJUDICATING GREY
AREA OF LAW NOT YET EFFECTIVELY ADJUDICATED
UPON: LAYING FOUNDATION STONE OF
JURISPRUDENCE .......................................................................... 33
Pace of Spread of Scandalous Content: From the Echo of Whispers in
Pre-Digital Era compared to the Spread at Lightning Speed of Digital
Dissemination in Digital Era ....................................................................... 35
V. ‘RETWEETING’ A DEFAMATORY IMPUTATION WILL
AMOUNT TO ‘PUBLICATION’ FOR THE PURPOSE OF
APPLICABILITY OF SECTION 499 OF IPC ................................ 36
VI. REACH & INFLUENCE OF THE PERSON RETWEETING
DEFAMATORY CONTENT .......................................................... 41
VII. WILL EVERY ‘RETWEET’ ATTRACT ACTION UNDER
SECTION 499 OF IPC? ................................................................... 42
VIII. WHETHER PETITIONER IS LIABLE TO BE
SUMMONED FOR HIS ACT OF RETWEETING THE
ALLEGEDLY DEFAMATORY CONTENT? ................................ 45
CONCLUSION ................................................................................ 49
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:ZEENAT PRAVEEN
Signing Date:05.02.2024
16:25:50
CRL.M.C. 6347/2019
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