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1h ago

Supreme Court Stays The Wire Defamation Trial, Says Time Has Come to Decriminalise

The signal departs from the court’s 2016 ruling that upheld criminal defamation under the penal code.

The Supreme Court made the observation while hearing a plea against 'The Wire' and its Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha.
The court stayed a trial proceeding against the news portal The Wire. (HT PHOTO)
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Overview

  • A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice on pleas by the Foundation for Independent Journalism and deputy editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha and paused the magistrate trial.
  • Justice Sundresh’s remark about decriminalisation was an oral observation, not a ruling, and defamation remains a criminal offence under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
  • The petitions contest fresh summons in a case filed by former JNU professor Amita Singh over a 2016 article, after a 2017 summons, a 2023 High Court quashing, a 2024 Supreme Court remand, and a May 2025 High Court affirmation.
  • The court directed that the matter be tagged with other pending defamation cases, including those involving Rahul Gandhi, for a consolidated hearing.
  • The complaint alleges the article falsely implied Singh authored a JNU dossier that harmed her reputation, and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioners supporting reform.