Delhi High Court Quashed Summoning Orders Against The Wire’s Editors

The High Court of Delhi, on Wednesday, quashed a 2017 order passed by a trial court for summoning of The Wire’s Editor Siddharth Bhatia and Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha in relation to a criminal defamation matter filed by former JNU professor Amita Singh.

In 2016, Singh filed a complaint against the Editor of the Wire who had published an article titled “Dossier Calls JNU "Den of Organised Sex Racket"; Students, Professors Allege "Hate Campaign.” She further claimed that the said publication implied that she prepared a dossier depicting JNU as a “Den of Organised Sex Racket”. It was also alleged that the publication was not duly verified by the Wire's Editor and the sole purpose of it was monetary benefits.

A Single Judge Bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani noted that the extract from the magazine says that a dossier called JNU is a "Den of Organised Sex Racket". There is nothing in this statement that goes against the complainant or defames her. 

Accordingly, the Ld. Court quashed the summoning order passed by a metropolitan court.