A three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, upheld the Karnataka High Court’s decision not to quash the proceedings.”She (Spandana) has been repeatedly mentioned in the bulletin, how can we quash the order? We cannot entertain this,” the bench remarked.
New Delhi: On Friday (Aug 2): The Supreme Court refused to dismiss the defamation case filed by actor-politician Divya Spandana against Asianet News Network and journalist Vishweshwar Bhat.
Spandana’s lawsuit alleges that Asianet News and others broadcast news implicating Kannada film actresses, including her, in a betting and spot-fixing scandal.
She claimed that her name, photos, and videos were repeatedly shown during the telecasts, suggesting her involvement in the scandal.
The complaint specifically stated that the news was broadcasted in a manner implying her participation in the alleged cricket betting or spot-fixing scandal.
A three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, upheld the Karnataka High Court’s decision not to quash the proceedings.
“She (Spandana) has been repeatedly mentioned in the bulletin, how can we quash the order? We cannot entertain this,” the bench remarked.
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The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal by Asianet News Network and others against the High Court’s ruling. The High Court had noted that the petitioners did not present any evidence linking Spandana to cricket betting or spot-fixing.
Earlier, The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash the defamation proceedings against Asianet News Network, its channel Suvarna News, and journalist Vishweshwar Bhatt, in a case filed by actress Divya Spandana.
The allegations made by the news channel in a program titled ‘Betting Raniyaru’ (Betting Queens), which implicated Spandana in a cricket betting and spot-fixing scandal.
Justice S Viswajith Shetty of the Karnataka High Court observed that the broadcast depicted the actress as being involved in illicit activities such as cricket betting and spot fixing, actions understood to potentially harm her reputation.
