VIR SINGHVI Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In this petition under S. 482, Cr.P.C. prayer for quashing of criminal complaint under S. 500, I.P.C. dated 30-3-2000 (Annexure P6) and the summoning order (Annexure P8) of the even date as well as subsequent proceedings arising therefrom, has been made.

(2.) The petitioners are Editor and Printer - Publisher of the daily news paper The Hindustan Times respectively. The impugned complaint which has been filed by respondent No. 2 originated from a news item dated 23-12-1999 titled as "NCP Leader accused of cheating." published in The Hindustan Times. It was founded upon some press conference held by one Balbir Singh Pal, who claimed himself to be the District President of Haryana Vikas Party and allegedly accused-respondent No. 2 the complainant of defrauding the aforementioned party of Rs. 10 crores. As per the contents of the news items, the said Balbir Singh Pal alleged that the complainant organised about 400 meetings in the State and at each meeting Rs. 50-60,000/- were collected by him but he did not deposit the amount in the party's account except an amount of Rs. 1.75 lacs. It was thus alleged that the complainant betrayed the party and its supremo Sh. Bansi Lal.

(3.) It appears that one K. B. Gupta, a correspondent to The Hindustan Times, also attended the aforesaid press conference and upon his report, the news item in question was published.