HC summons journalist Sudhir Chaudhary for allegedly defamatory show during youth protests

The Delhi High Court on Monday summoned journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and public broadcaster Doordarshan News in a defamation case filed by a 28-year-old civil services aspirant who had attended the youth protests at Jantar Mantar in July, reported Bar and Bench.

Vikram Sherawat, a volunteer with the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign, alleged in his plea that in a July 27 broadcast, Chaudhary accused him of calling for the destruction of Parliament and creating a “Nepal-like situation” in India.

Sherawat alleged that Chaudhary had described him as an “anti-national”.

“It was a mala fide act, meant to discredit a critic of the government, to paint a peaceful protest as anti-national, and to expose the plaintiff to public hatred and to danger,” read his petition.

Sherawat has sought Rs 5 crore in damages from Chaudhary, his production company Essprit Productions and Doordarshan News.

The 28-year-old had been part of the protests against alleged mismanagement of several competitive examinations, which began on June 6. The Cockroach Janta Party had held a demonstration on the day at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union education minister at the time.

On July 20, thousands joined the protest. This came two days after the police forcibly took activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike...

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