YASH PAL SHARMA Vs. PUREWAL AND ASSOCIATES LTD.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present appeal is filed against the decree passed by District Judge, Solan, on June 9, 1992, in Civil Suit No. 37 -S/l of 1990/87. The learned District Judge by the said decree, partly allowed the suit filed by the plaintiffs and directed the defendants to pay an amount of Rs. 10,000 jointly and severally with proportionate costs as damages.

(2.) The appellants were the original defendants whereas the respondents were the original plaintiffs before the trial Court. They will be referred to as plaintiffs and defendants in this judgment also.

(3.) The plaintiffs instituted the above suit for recovery of Rs. 1,00,000 individually and jointly from the defendants towards damages for their defamation. Their case in the plaint was that plaintiff No. 1 is a limited company, duly incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1956. It has its registered office at Jubbar, Tehsil Kasauli, District Solan. It deals in manufacturing process of watches. Plaintiff No. 2 G. S. Purewal is the Managing Director of plaintiff No. 1. It was asserted by the plaintiffs that in the last one decade, the Company had brought radical changes in watch technology and due to such innovation, it had earned wide acclaim and acceptance all over the country. Plaintiff No. 2 was awarded "a man of the year award in 1986 by "Trade Post", most widely read journal in the industries. Because of such activities of the plaintiff it had acquired good reputation throughout the country. The investment of the Company was about nine crores. An elected Workers Committee used to look -after all grievances of workers.