Honble SAXENA, J.—This petition has been filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. against the order dated 28.8.1991 passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sirohi in Cr. Case No. 106/91, whereby he took cognizance of the offence punishable under Section 500 IPC against the petitioners on a private complaint filed by respondent Sohan Lal Patni.

(2). Succinctly stated the relevant facts are that on 21.8.1991, respondent Sohan Lal filed a Criminal complaint before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate against the petitioners on the basis of a news item titled ;qorh ds lkFk dfFkr ;kSupkj ds ekeys esa ,l-ih- ls iwNrkN dh published on 31.07.1991 in the Jodhpur Edition of Rajasthan Patrika. Petitioners No.l & 2 Prashant Kothari and Milap Chandra Kothari are Manager and Editor of Rajasthan Patrika, Jodhpur and Rajasthan Patrika, Jaipur respectively, while petitioner No. 3 Bhagwan Sahai Trivedi is the Editor of Rajasthan Patrika, Jodhpur. Petitioner No. 5 Mahavir Jain is the Correspondent, Rajasthan Patrika. Petitioner No. 4 has not been named and has been addressed a LoRokf/kdkjh (owner), Rajasthan Patrika Jodhpur. It will be worth-while to quote the impugned news item in extenso: —

;qorh ds lkFk dfFkr ;kSupkj ds ekeys eas ,l- ih- ls iwNrkN dh fljksgh 30 tqykbZ ¼,l-½ LFkkuh; kkafruxj dkWyksuh esa xr fnuksa nsj jkr ,d ;qorh ds lkFk dfFkr ;kSupkj ds ekeys esa iqfyl v/kh{kd gseUr iqjksfgr us dkWyst iz/kku/;kid MkW- lksgukyky ikVuh ls iwNrkN dj tkWp kq: dh gSA

iqfyl v/kh{kd dks crk;k x;k fd ,d ;qorh us nsj jkr ;g dgrs gq, fd ^^esjh gkyr [kjkc gks xbZ gS** kkafruxj esa ,d edku ds njokts ij nLrd nsdj kj.k ekaxh bl ij edku ekfyd Hkjr dqekj dedkj us iqfyl dks Qksu ij lwpuk nhA vk/ks ?k.Vs ckj ,d gsM dkaLVscy lknh onhZ esa ogkW igqWpk vkSj ;qorh dks mldh ifjfpr efgyk dh dkaLVslk dkj esa Fkkus ys vk;kA ikVuh vius LdwVj ij Fkkus igqWpsA

Fkkus tkus ls iwoZ os dkj dks iqfyl v/kh{kd ds ?kj dh rjQ gks x,] fdUrq iqfyldehZ ds euk djus ij dkj Fkkus gks tkbZ xbZA Fkkus esa o`r fuj{kd dks txkdj ;g ;qorh iqfyl ds lqiqnZ dj nh xbZA fQj gsM dkaLVscy lkbfdy ls ?kVuk LFky ij Hkh x;kA

bl lkjh ?kVuk dh fjiksVZ jkstukeps esa ntZ ugha gSA Fkkuk izHkkjh lTtuflga dks iwNus ij mUgksaus crk;k fd ikVuh ;qorh dks lkSai dj x, gh Fks fd fljksgh xSl lfoZl ds ekfyd ujir flga Fkkus igWqpsA mUgksaus bl ;qorh dks viuk fjrsnkj crk;k] ftl ij mls NksM+ fn;k x;kA

vkp;Z ;g gS fd iqfyl us nsj jkr kkafruxj esa kj.k ekaxus dh bl ;qorh dh otg ugha iwNh] tcfd dkj esa lokj viuh ifjfpr efgyk dks ml ;qorh us crk;k fd ^^mUgksaus rks esjh gkyr [kjkc dj nh] ftl ij fdlh rjg Hkkxdj eSa lM+d ij vkbZA

dkj tks/kiqj dh Fkh rFkk MªkbZoj ekyh FkkA ujir flga ds fljksgh esa ugha gksus ds dkj.k muls ?kVuk ds ckjs esa ugha iwNk tk ldkA iqfyl v/kh{kd us crk;k fd Fkkuk izHkkjh us mUgsa bl ?kVuk dh tkudkjh nhA

(3). The respondent Sohan Lal in his complaint alleged that the aforesaid news item was sent by the Sirohi Correspondent of Rajasthan Patrika without making any inquiry and that the same was published malafidely with a view to defame him. He further alleged that he is a Lecturer in Government College, Sirohi and that after publication of the said news item, his moral and intellectual character and his personal reputation were lowered in his colleagues as also in the members of the society. It was further alleged that the said news item was misleading and by that his prestige was lowered down.

(4). The trial Magistrate recorded the statement of respondent Sohan Lal under section 200 Cr.P.C. and examined Mohd. Yaqub Khan and Bhim Raj Jain under Section 202 Cr.P.C. and by his impugned order took cognizance against the petitioners for the offence under section 500 IPC.

(5). Mr. M.L. Kala, the learned counsel for the petitioners have vehemently contended that from the contents of the criminal complaint and the evidence recorded by the Magistrate even the basic ingredients for defamation are not make out, that the impugned news item was published in good faith and that contents thereof were correct, which have neith

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