The Delhi High Court has quashed the criminal defamation case filed against journalist Arnab Goswami for describing a lawyer involved in the 2016 Patiala House Court attack as a “goon.” Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also set aside the proceedings against Times Group executives Samir Jain and Vineet Jain.
The case arose from a February 2016 televised debate on Times Now, during which Goswami had referred to advocate Vikram Singh Chauhan one of the lawyers accused of assaulting JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar and journalists inside the Patiala House Court premises as a “goon” and “hooligan.”
Chauhan later filed a criminal defamation complaint, alleging that the remarks were baseless, defamatory, and damaging to his professional reputation. He also named the Times Group’s senior officials as co-accused.
The Court, however, found no basis to continue the proceedings, holding that the statements made during the course of a news debate did not warrant criminal prosecution.