KOCHI: The New Indian Express (TNIE) has initiated legal action against Malayalam news channel Janam TV for airing a defamatory news report.
The legal notice, issued on October 3 on behalf of Lakshmi Menon, CEO of Express Publications (Madurai) Private Limited, to Janam Multimedia Ltd, its management and editorial staff said they are responsible for broadcasting and circulating the report without verifying its authenticity.
The notice relates to a September 29 telecast by Janam TV, which claimed that TNIE received financial inducements from a political party for publication of news against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The notice said TNIE had not published the report referred to in the telecast and that the broadcast was made with the “definite intention” of “maligning and defaming” its reputation.
The notice said the unverified broadcast caused serious damage to TNIE’s reputation and credibility. It also said the allegations were subsequently circulated widely on social media, resulting in protests, threatening telephone calls and complaints from readers.
The notice termed the allegations false and defamatory and said the conduct attracted penal provisions under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It demanded the defamatory content be removed from all platforms and a correction be given with the same prominence as the original report, along with an unconditional public apology.
The notice sought a compensation of Rs 100 crore and gave the recipients 30 days to comply, failing which it warned of appropriate civil and criminal proceedings.