Lekha G –
A City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru has directed former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda to pay damages of INR 2 crore to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) Limited for loss of reputation.
The NICE had filed a suit demanding INR 10 crore damages alleging “Defamatory comments” by Deve Gowda in an interview to a Kannada news channel in June 2011.
The Counsel for the company contended that the project was approved by the Karnataka Government and directions were issued by Karnataka High Court and Supreme Court to the State Government to take necessary steps to implement the project, which showed that there was no illegality and irregularities in the work.
The Court said Deve Gowda had failed to substantiate his statements made in the interview and “Therefore, there is nothing on record to show that the allegations made by the defendant (Deve Gowda) against the plaintiff Company (NICE) in the questioned interview are supported with any cogent documentary proof.”
“Hence, if defamatory statements like the present one are allowed to be made in future, definitely implementation of such a massive project like the present one which is undertaken in the larger public interest of the State of Karnataka is going to be delayed,” the Court further said.
Further, the order issued by Judge Mallanagouda restrained Deve Gowda from making any defamatory statements against the company in any media, news channel or in any other means of mass communication in the future.