BENGALURU: A city civil and sessions court has passed a decree directing Asianet News Network Private Limited and regional Kannada news channel Suvarna News 24x7 to pay Rs 50 lakh to actress Ramya for allegedly airing a programme which was defamatory in nature. In the decree dated April 26, 2019, Judge Patil Nagalinganagouda also granted permanent injunction restraining the two defendants from telecasting any programme linking her to a match fixing/spot fixing scandal.
“... This court is of the opinion that the act of the defendants is in complete violation of the journalistic ethics,” the court said.
Divya Spandana, who is also the AICC social media in-charge, had filed a suit on September 28, 2013 against defendants for judgement and decree directing them to pay damages of Rs 10 crore and to grant permanent injunction restraining them from telecasting any programme linking her name to the match fixing.
“Suit filed by the plaintiff against the defendants is hereby decreed in part with cost. Defendants are jointly and severally liable to pay damages to the tune of `50 lakh to the plaintiff towards damages within two months from the date of the order. Defendants or anybody claiming through defendants are hereby restrained from telecasting any such programme which relates the plaintiff without any proof directly, indirectly or in any manner whatsoever to the match fixing/spot fixing scandal by way of permanent injunction,” the court said.
She moved the court accusing the channel of causing immense loss to her reputation by falsely and repeatedly airing the programme dragging her name into spot fixing in relation to the Indian Premier League’s Twenty20 cricket matches.