In Brief
A former Congress spokesperson was prosecuted for defamation against the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister under Section 199(2) Cr.P.C. for statements made at a press conference about alleged appointments of relatives and phone calls by family members. The Supreme Court quashed the proceedings and set aside the conviction, holding that such personal statements lack any reasonable nexus with the discharge of public duties and therefore fall outside Section 199(2) Cr.P.C.'s scope. The Court also found the Public Prosecutor had failed to independently scrutinize the materials, filing the complaint merely on government orders, in breach of his statutory obligation to act independently.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.