Two days after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed a 2018 defamation case against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, Sakal Bhatt and others, Kaul has penned a heartfelt post in gratitude of the Republic TV chief.
In his social media post dated October 16, Aditya Raj Kaul thanked Arnab Goswami for standing by him and fighting the defamation case on his behalf, despite him not being associated with Republic TV anymore.
Just a small post in gratitude of Arnab.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 15, 2021
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“I want to thank Arnab for fighting the case on my behalf as well and putting the title of the petition in High Court as Aditya Raj Kaul & Others Vs Naeem Akhter”, wrote Kaul, adding that not many editors would have sided with ex-colleagues as is the trend in today’s world.
“Not many editors would have stood with ex-colleagues as has been a trend these days”, wrote the journalist.
Kaul claimed that he knows friends and colleagues from media organisations such as NDTV and The Hindu who have had defamation cases filed against them, but that the media organisations refused to stand by them after they left the organisations.
“Arnab was furious after I quit yet didn’t drop me out in this legal battle”, wrote Aditya Raj Kaul, adding that he wants to publically and humbly appreciate Arnab’s gesture.
The full post written by journalist Aditya Raj Kaul is as follows:
Just a small post in gratitude. I quit Republic TV as Senior Associate Editor and founding member on December 31, 2018. It’s been almost three years. I haven’t spoken to Arnab since.
Sometime in 2018 I did a story on alleged corruption by PDP leader Naeem Akhter which was anchored by me along with my colleague Sakal Bhat. The same news report was covered by several other media houses and appeared in newspapers as well. Yet the PDP leader decided to file a defamation case against me, Sakal, Arnab and few of our colleagues in Kashmir. The defamation case was from a powerful former Minister who specifically decided to selectively target us. It also led to a arrest warrant being issued against me and my colleagues by a Srinagar court. It was a direct attack on media by someone who was powerful and had money to intimidate journalists and media.
Two days ago we won the petition filed in the J&K High Court against the defamation suit. It was a remarkable judgement by honourable Judge Justice Sanjay Dhar. My lawyer friends say the judgement would be a benchmark for several future such cases where public servants or people in power misuse the law against journalists, media and activists. The judge said that people in public offices should not have thin skin. He also said that reporting on allegations on people in public office was not defamation.
I want to thank Arnab for fighting the case on my behalf as well and putting the title of the petition in High Court as Aditya Raj Kaul & Others Vs Naeem Akhter.
Not many editors would have stood with ex-colleagues as has been a trend these days. I know friends and colleagues from NDTV & The Hindu who had defamation cases slapped against them but the media organisations refused to stand by them after they quit the respective organisations.
Arnab was furious after I quit yet didn’t drop me out in this legal battle. Many lawyer friends would have easily defended me in New Delhi and J&K. Inspite of having many differences with his approach and methods of reportage, I want to humbly and publicly appreciate his gesture.
J&K HC quashes 2018 criminal defamation case against Arnab Goswami and others by PDP’s Naeem Akhter
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday, October 13, quashed a defamation complaint filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Naeem Akhtar against Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami and journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, among others. Quashing the defamation proceedings pending before the court, the single-bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar observed that “reporting allegations about the official duties of a public figure cannot be considered defamatory.”
The court was hearing a 2018 defamation complaint filed by the senior leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Naeem Akhter, against the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, Sakal Bhatt and others.
The complaint against Goswami and Kaul, who was then an anchor for Republic TV, was filed in July 2018 under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Ranbir Penal Code before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Naeem Akhtar.
