Bombay HC on Shilpa Shetty defamation suit: News reporting based on what police said not defamatory

The Bombay High Court on Friday heard the defamation suit filed by Shilpa Shetty against media houses in the ongoing Raj Kundra pornography case. The court has said that news reports by media houses based on police sources cannot be called defamatory. To note, the actress had moved the court asking for an injunction against defamatory content published on social media and websites.

Shilpa Shetty defamation suit

She had also demanded an apology, deletion of all defamatory content, and a compensation of Rs 25 crores. As mentioned in Hindustan Times, Justice Gautam S Patel said, "The line between freedom of press & right to privacy will have to be balanced. It is possible that freedom of speech may have to be narrowly tailored. But it is not possible to ignore the constitutional pinning of privacy nor to say that if a person is a public figure, that person is deemed to have sacrificed his right to privacy." The court also expressed doubt on whether a blanket restraint can be issued.

However, the court also observed that the actress is the mother and because she is a public figure, it does not mean that she has sacrificed her privacy. The court also ordered the removal of certain videos from media and news channels that are prima facie defamatory against actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra.

It is worth mentioning here that the actress's husband Raj Kundra was arrested on July 19 for his alleged involvement in the making and publication of adult films through online applications. He is currently in judicial custody.

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