Delhi High Court Judge Recuses From Hearing BJP Spokesperson Nalin Kohli's Defamation Suit Against Dainik Bhaskar

Senior Advocate and BJP National Spokesperson Nalin Kohli on Wednesday (April 16) filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court against D.B. Corp Limited, which publishes the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar.

The matter was listed today before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav who recused from hearing the suit and ordered that the same be listed before another judge tomorrow.

Apart from Dainik Jagran, Kohli has also filed the suit against its journalists, X Corp (formerly Twitter), and several individuals.

The suit alleges that Dainik Bhaskar published a video and an article related to an alleged sting operation conducted by its reporters containing “false and unsubstantiated claim" linking Kohli to the creation and distribution of fake news targeting political figures.

The suit seeks Rs. 2 crores as damages from the defendants and removal of the allegedly defamatory content and to prevent its further publication. In the interim, Kohli has sought take down of the content.

Kohli is aggrieved by a post made by Dainik Bhaskar containing a video in relation to the sting operation along with a link to a full report available on its website.

As per Kohli, the publication not only falsely attribute and insinuate his alleged involvement in the fabrication and distribution of fake images and false social media campaigns but also “irresponsibly juxtapose” his image alongside the “defamatory narrative.”

The suit refers to one Vijay Sharma who has alleged that he had “dealings" with Kohli in creating and distributing fake media campaigns against prominent political figures of the Indian National Congress Party, including Rahul Gandhi, late Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi.

The suit states that “defamatory statements” were made by Sharma to the Dainik Bhaskar Team and the broadcast of the same was done without any verification on the Dainik Bhaskar website as well as on X.

“The statements, which are scandalous, fabricated, and reckless, have been widely published, circulated, and read by the public at large, significantly diminishing the Plaintiffs reputation. The malevolent nature of these statements reflects a deliberate attempt to tarnish the Plaintiffs image, motivated by ulterior motives of making wrongful gains,” the suit states.

Senior Advocate Aman Lekhi along with Advocate Shankh Sengupta appeared for Kohli.

Title: NALIN SATYAKAM KOHLI v. D.B. CORP LIMITED & ORS