A Delhi court has ordered Hindustan Times and its former reporter Neelesh Misra to pay Rs 40 lakh in damages to a businessman over a 2007 news report stating that he was “sacked” from a company “for alleged financial irregularities”, Bar and Bench reported.
According to the report, the court ordered the newspaper to publish an apology within two months and permanently restrained the publication from defaming the businessman – Darts IT Network founder Arun Kumar Gupta. It ordered the newspaper to pay 75 percent of the amount while Misra was directed to pay the rest.
Gupta had joined a company called Integrix as director in 2000 and resigned in July 2005 to start his own company. In March and April 2006, Integrix filed two suits over a defamatory email and hacking of its website. On orders of the Delhi High Court, it was later revealed that the IP address linked to the email and hacking could be traced to Gupta.
In January 2007, Hindustan Times reportedly published a news report written by Misra. Without naming Gupta, it stated that he had been sacked for financial irregularities, according to the report. Gupta sued the paper, Misra, Integrix, its directors and even its lawyer for defamation. He later settled the case with all, except Hindustan Times and Misra.
The paper and Misra said the article was written on the basis of credible information received from sources and corroborated by various documents including copies of suits filed by Integrix against Gupta.
However, the court found there was nothing on record to suggest that Gupta had been sacked for financial irregularities.
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