TV Today Network Moves Supreme Court Seeking Discharge In BJP Leader Ramesh Bidhuri's Defamation Case

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea filed by TV Today Network Ltd., which owns Aaj Tak and the India Today group, seeking discharge in criminal defamation cases filed by BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri and his nephew Rajpal Poswal.

A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan also issued notice on the plea seeking an interim stay on the trial court proceedings. The Court refused to grant interim stay on trial proceedings today, but decided to hear the on April 13, before the next date in the trial court, i.e., April 16.

The petition challenges a November 2025 judgment of the Delhi High Court which refused to discharge TV Today Network Limited in the criminal defamation case. The present SLP has been filed on the ground that a company cannot be made accused in a defamation case.

The case relates to a news broadcast aired in 2011 concerning a gang rape and abduction case involving an individual described as the brother-in-law of Bidhuri's nephew.

At the time, Bidhuri was an elected MLA from the Tughlakabad constituency. The broadcast criticised alleged police inaction in arresting the individual, while his co-accused had already been taken into custody.

Complaints were filed by Bidhuri and Poswal alleging that the telecast was malicious, defamatory, misleading and intended to tarnish their reputation before the public.

On November 2025, the Delhi High Court dismissed petitions filed by TV Today challenging a trial court order which had rejected its applications for discharge. The High Court held that the Metropolitan Magistrate did not have the power to discharge an accused in a summons triable case.

The High Court also observed that TV Today had not challenged the summoning order issued on September 20, 2014 and therefore, discharge cannot be granted.

The High Court rejected the contention that the Magistrate could invoke inherent jurisdiction under Section 251 of the CrPC to drop proceedings.

The High Court further held that Section 251 of the CrPC does not empower a Magistrate to undertake a mini-trial or evaluate defences on merits at that stage. The stage for consideration of such issues would arise only when evidence is led, the HC stated.

Case no. – Diary No. 10567 / 2026

Case Title – TV Today Network Ltd v. Rajpal Poswal