S N M ABDI Vs. PRAFULLA KR MAHANTA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Appeal has been filed against the Judgment and decree dated 22-7-93 passed in T.S. No. 97/91 by the learned Asstt. District Judge No. 1, Guwahati. By the impugned judgment and decree, the learned Asstt. District Judge decreed the suit for an amount of Rs. 50,00000.00.

(2.) The suit was filed by the respondent No. 1 who was earlier the Chief Minister of Assam claiming that he was defamed by an Article published in Illustrated Weekly of India' Weekend December 8-9/90. That Article is quoted below :-

(3.) It is stated herein that when this article was published whose name was mentioned as the source of the article, he wrote a letter dated 13-12-99 denying his involvement in the article. He has also denied the following statements "Prafulla has dug his own grave by partonising ULFA and inviting Central rule" and "also that AGP Government as the most corrupt regime in the country". He even by this letter stated that he never met Mr. Abdi during his visit to Guwahati. Thereafter the suit was filed on the ground that the reputation of the plaintiff was harmed and injured by that article. There was also a request to publish this letter on the next issue in the News paper by Sri Bhrigu Kr. Phukan but the same was not done.