On Friday(26th July), A Delhi court has summoned ABP News and its key officials in a criminal defamation case filed by Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai. Rai claims a defamatory article linked him to conman Sanjay Rai Sherpuria.
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DELHI: On Friday(26th July), A Delhi court has issued summons to ABP News, its Chief Editor and Publisher Atideb Sarkar, along with other key officials in connection with a criminal defamation case. The case was filed by Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai, who alleges that a defamatory article linked him to conman Sanjay Rai Sherpuria.
Judicial Magistrate Tarunpreet Kaur of the Patiala House Court acknowledged that the article published by ABP News made a prima facie defamatory connection between Advocate Rai and Sherpuria, whose alias is Sanjay Prakash Rai.
“In light of the discussion, the pre-summoning evidence presented by the complainant (Pradeep Rai), the documents on record, and the submissions made, the complaint is hereby accepted. The court takes cognizance of the offense under Section 500 IPC. Summons are to be issued to the following accused: 1. Atideb Sarkar (Chief Editor & Publisher, ABP), 2. Aveek Sarkar (Vice Chairman & Editor Emeritus, ABP Group), 3. Avinash Pandey (CEO, ABP), and 4. ABP News, upon the filing of process fees within 15 days from today, for the offense under Section 500 IPC. The next date of hearing will be scheduled accordingly.”
-the Court ordered.
The defamation lawsuit targets ABP News and its senior management team, accusing them of publishing false information in an article titled “Sanjay Sherpuria case: Mahathag Sanjay Rai Sherpuria par kas raha shikanja, bhatije ko STF ne puchhtachh ke ie bulaya” (Sanjay Sherpuria case: Conman Sanjay Sherpuria under scanner, nephew called for questioning by the STF).
Allegations by Advocate Pradeep Rai
Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai informed the Court that the article wrongfully asserted that he is Sherpuria’s nephew and that he was summoned for questioning by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). Rai emphasized that the article was published without proper verification of the facts and included his brother’s name incorrectly.
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Sherpuria, a businessman from Lucknow, has been accused of orchestrating a scheme where he and his associates collected money from numerous individuals by falsely claiming to have close connections with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and senior bureaucrats.
Rai’s complaint highlights the potential damage to his reputation caused by these unverified claims. He argues that the misinformation published by ABP News has the potential to tarnish his professional image and credibility.
The Court has instructed that summons be issued to the accused, including Atideb Sarkar, Aveek Sarkar, and Avinash Pandey, within 15 days. The case has been scheduled for the next hearing (NDOH) soon, where further proceedings will determine the outcome of this significant defamation case.