Point of Law: The right to enjoyment of a private reputation unassailed by malicious slander is of ancient origin and is necessary to human society. A good reputation is an element of personal security and is protected by constitution equally with the right to the enjoyment of life, liberty and property.

JUDGMENT :

1. The instant application under Section 482 of Code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter referred to as ‘Code’) has been filed to quash the proceeding of the Complaint Case No.412 of 1999, under Section 500 I.P.C. (Ajeet Singh Tomar Vs. Khichchu Singh and others) pending in the Court of Judicial Magistrate, Gautambudh Nagar.

2. The relevant facts of the case are that applicant was working as a reporter in the Amar Ujala daily newspaper since long and he never published any news which is incorrect, a news item on the basis of press conference has been published in the Meerut edition daily newspaper Amar Ujala dated 15.07.1999 that the Pradhan-Khichchu Singh of Shahpur Goverdhanpur told that Ajeet Singh Tomar @ Bajrangi son of Shri Horam has illegally taken possession of the Gaon Sabha land recorded as pasture land and in this regard complaint has been also made to the District Magistrate as well as to the Commissioner. He also alleged that 510 bighas of land situated at Chakshalapur has been sold out by Ajeet Singh Tomar & his brothers, the dispute in respect to these plots is pending in the Court of Haryana State. He further alleged that the complaint was made to District Magistrate-Gautambudh Nagar to inquire into the matter relating to unauthorised & illegal possession of land, the Gram-pradhan further alleged that culprits have threatened to kill him. Villagers of the village have also complained to NOIDA authority and the NOIDA authority has written a letter to District Magistrate to inquire into the irregularity. Ajeet Singh Tomar in his statement has said that on his complaint government has registered seven cases in respect to forged sale-deed at Police Station-Sector-39. He further states that on abovementioned land of Gaon Sabha, a temple is situated for the last 10 years and he has no concern with the land of Gaon Sabha. Ajeet Singh Tomar also demanded inquiry against the charges labelled by Gram Pradhan, the extract of news item is as follows:-

^^vej mtkyk ^^esjB 15 tqykbZ] 1999
xzke lekt dh tehu dCtk dj csp nsus dk vkjksi
vej mtkyk C;wjks uks,Mk] 14 tqykbZA
'kkgiqj xkso/kZu iqj ds iz/kku f[kPpw flga us dbZ xkookysa ds xzke lekt dh Hkwfe csp nsus dk vkjksi yxk;k gSA
iz/kku us crk;k fd xzke jksfgYykiqj ds [kkrk LkaŒ63 o [kljk uaŒ8 jdck 3 oh?kk 10 fcLok¼xkze lekt½ [kkrk uaŒ 63 [kljk laŒ64 j 14 oh?kk 6 foLok¼flpkabZ foHkkx½] 'kkgiqj xkso/kZuiqj ds [kljk uaŒ194 dh 200 dPpk oh?kk ¼xÅpj Hkwfe½ o xzke pdlykjiqj ds [kljk ua 2@1] 2@4] 2@3] 2@6 o gfjtuks dh 50 oh?kk tehu ij vftr flag rksej mQZ ctjaxh iq= Jh gksjke us voS/k :i ls dCtk dj fy;k gSA blds ckjs es ftykf/kdkjh o esjB e.My ds vk;qDr ls f'kdk;r dh x;h iz/kku ds vuqlkj ;gh ugh vthr o mlds HkkbZ;ks us pdlkyjiqj dh yxHkx 510 oh/kk tehu Hkh csp nh mlus crk;k fd fookn ds dkj.k bl Hkwfe dks ysdj gfj;k.kk dh vnkyr es eqdnek py jgk gSA
f[kPpw flg us i=dkjksa dks crk;k fd mlus 28 twu 99 dks ftykf/kdkjh xkSrecq)uxj] dks i= fy[kdj tehuks ij gks jgs voS/k dCtksa dh tkap djkus dh ekax dh Fkh blls iwoZ 14 ebZ 98 dks Hkh bl flyflys es f'kdk;r dh x;h FkhA xzke iz/kku dk vkjksi gS fd f'kdk;r ds ckn vkjksfi;ksa us mls tku ls ekjus dh /kedh nhA
mldk ;gh dguk gS fd xzkeh.kksa }kjk bu ekeyksa dh f'kdk;r uks,Mk] izkf/kdj.k ds fo'ks"k dk;kZf/kdkjh
¼Mh½ ls dh x;h FkhA bl ij fo'ks"k dk;kZf/kdkjh us 15 twu 99 dks ftykf/kdkjh dks i= fy[kdj vfu;ferrkvksa dh tkap djus dk vkns'k fn;kA
m/kj jksfgYykiqj fuoklh vthr flag rksej us ,d c;ku es nkok fd;k fd mudh f'kdk;r ij 'kklu us Fkkuk lsDVj 39 esa QthZ cSukesa ds lkr eqdnes ntZ fd;s gSA
mUgksaus dgk fd xzke lHkk ds ftl Hkwfe ij dCts dh ckr gS ogka ,d eafnj 10 o"kZ ls cuk gqvk gSA mlls mudk dksbZ ysuk nsuk ugh blh rjg flapkbZ foHkkx dh tehu ij lM+d cuh gqbZ gSA vthr flag rksej us xzke iz/kku }kjk yxk;s x;s vkjksiks dh tkap djkus dh ekax dh laoknnkrk lEesyu es xzke iz/kku ds vykok nsosUnz 'kekZ] vfuy] veuflag] xqykcflag ¼miiz/kku½ j.kthflag] fo'kuflag] Jhjke o enuyky pढ&#2338A o lquhy dqekj pढढk mifLFkr FksA ¼lR; izfrfyfi½^^

3. The aforementioned news was