Bombay High Court quashes process against TV9 directors in defamation complaint

The Bombay High Court quashed on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) the order that issued process against Ravi Velicheti and Narsimha Mangipudi, Directors at TV9, in a defamation complaint by Rajesh Sawane, an officer with Mumbai Police, over broadcasts on December 14 and 15, 2013.

Justice Ranjitsinha Bhonsale passed the order on September 11. The court directed the Magistrate Court to proceed in accordance with law from the stage of recording the statement and verification of that statement.

The order of September 11 records that the Magistrate Court, after allowing an amendment to the complaint, did not record a verification statement of the complainant before issuing process against Velicheti and Mangipudi.

The court said the order to issue process came after the amendment and included the accused in the amendment. The court said the purpose of recording a verification statement of the complainant is to ascertain the facts of the case and arrive at the truth.

The recording of the statement of a complainant under Section 200 of the CrPC, now Section 223 of the BNSS, is to bring out the truth. It is not a formality. In the case, after the court allowed the amendment, the court had to record a verification statement and ascertain facts and truth, the court said.

The complaint by Sawane states that on August 24, 2013, he was on patrol duty when he saw his brother-in-law near a bus stop. When the officer questioned him, the man spoke to him in a voice and then assaulted him. The channel broadcast a video of the incident on December 14 and December 15, 2013, under the title “Mumbai Khakiwalachi Dhuli” (Assault Of Mumbai Policeman).

Mr. Sawane alleged that the channel ran the news item with bias and with an intention to defame him. The channel did not try to find out why the incident took place and what was the truth behind the incident, he alleged.

Mr. Sawane lodged a complaint before the Magistrate, and verification of his statements took place. He then filed an application to amend the complaint to add the names of Velicheti and Mangipudi. The Magistrate issued process against Velicheti and Mangipudi on April 11, 2017.

Velicheti and Mangipudi moved petitions against the order that issued process. Justice Bhonsale noted that after the amendment to add the names of Velicheti and Mangipudi, the Magistrate Court did not verify the statement of the complainant again.

The court said no amendment was made to the complaint other than adding the petitioners as Accused Nos. 1 and 2. Without an averment, and because the petitioners held the post of Director at the company, no case was made out against them, the court said.

The court quashed the order that issued process and ordered the Magistrate Court to proceed in accordance with the law from the stage of recording of statement and verification of that statement.