In Brief
A journalist and critic challenged the filing of criminal defamation charges against him under Sections 499–500 IPC for expressing critical views about state government activities and policies. The petitioner argued that while defamation laws are constitutional, they should not be weaponized to silence legitimate criticism and dissent. The Supreme Court granted an interim stay of the prosecution, holding that fair criticism of government is a protected form of expression in a democracy. The Court emphasized that the Public Prosecutor and sanctioning authorities must exercise independent judgment and scrutiny before launching defamation prosecutions, rather than routinely filing cases to suppress dissent.
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