The Mumbai Sessions Court dismissed a criminal revision application filed by Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar against the summons issued by the court for allegedly defaming the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and comparing it to the Taliban in a television interview. RSS had a reputation tarnished due to comparison with Taliban.
In 2021, Javed Akhtar compared the RSS to the Taliban in a television interview. Advocate Santosh Dubey then filed a criminal defamation complaint against Akhtar, alleging that his remarks had hurt her, being an RSS swayamsevak since childhood, and that after Akhtar’s remarks, many people sought to disassociate her from the organization. said to be.
Justice Preeti Kumar Ghule dismissed Akhtar’s plea saying that his words carry weight and have damaged the reputation of the RSS, which is a well-known organization that has a large number of followers and supporters.
“The statement of the petitioner [Javed Akhtar] in the interview was on a national channel and YouTube. The reputation of RSS volunteers, supporters has been tarnished and a message has been given to the world that RSS is equivalent to Taliban in Afghanistan.” Thus, there is sufficient material to show that the reputation of the RSS has been tarnished,” the judge said.
The court further said that the comparison of the RSS with the Taliban involved in the barbaric acts is prima facie an element damaging the reputation of the RSS.
After Javed Akhtar defamed the RSS, the judge further said, “It was observed that as per Explanation 2 to section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, if a well-defined class is defamed, then every member of the class File a complaint.
In order to constitute an imputation relating to an association or collection of persons, there must be some definite body of persons, capable of being identified, and to which it can be said that the defamatory matter applies.”
The Mulund Magistrate Court had issued summons to Javed Akhtar to face the charges of defamation. Akhtar’s lawyers will approach the Bombay High Court with a petition against the order.