NATIONAL DAILY SHOULD PUBLISH TARUN TEJPAL'S APOLOGY FOR THE SLANDEROUS ARTICLE ABOUT AN ARMY OFFICER

The HC was considering an appeal filed by Tejpal and Bahal against a July 21, 2023, ruling of a single judge bench that granted Rs 2 crore damages to Ahluwalia in his defamation claim for the "loss of reputation" he incurred as a result of the news portal's 2001 "exposé".

Tarun Tejpal, the owner of the portal Tehelka.com, and writer Aniruddha Bahal told the Delhi High Court on Friday that they will issue an apology in an English national daily claiming that retired Indian Army commander Major General MS Ahluwalia did not accept any bribe.

The High Court was considering an appeal filed by Tejpal and Bahal against an order from the single judge bench dated July 21, 2023, which had granted Ahluwalia Rs 2 crore in damages for his "loss of reputation" resulting from a 2001 "exposé" by the news portal that claimed the officer was involved in corruption in defense procurement. Ahluwalia had filed the defamation lawsuit.

Tejpal and Bahal, the appellants, had also contested an order dated September 1, 2023, from the single-judge bench, which had denied their request to review the July 2023 order.

The senior attorneys representing Tejpal and Bahal made submissions that were noted by a division bench made up of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. They stated that the "appellants are ready and willing to deposit Rs 10 lakh each and publish an unconditional apology" in a national English daily within two weeks, "specifically stating" that Ahluwalia had "neither asked for nor accepted any bribe."

The panel further halted the proceedings in Ahluwalia's plea, which he sought to get the decree passed in his favor about the Rs 2 crore money executed.

The bench also took note of Chetan Anand, Ahluwalia's attorney, who submitted that the appeal is unmaintainable because it only challenges the judgment rather than the decree, which was already written before the current appeal was filed. Anand had maintained that since his client, an officer, had endured "stigma for nearly 22 years," a simple apology would not suffice.

The single judge panel ordered on July 21, 2023, that Tehelka.com, its owner M/s Buffalo Communications, its proprietor Tejpal, and reporters Bahal and Mathew Samuel pay the Rs 2 crore penalty.

The court concluded that Ahluwalia had not been able to establish any defamatory acts on the part of Zee Telefilms Ltd. and its representatives, who aired the story following a deal with a news outlet. Ahluwalia stated in an interview in media , "I won the lawsuit three or four months ago. The appellants have acknowledged that there was slander.

The 79-year-old Ahluwalia expressed his gratitude to his attorneys .he said in interview that "Three or four months ago, I prevailed in the case. He said, "They (appellants) have acknowledged that defamation did occur and they are attempting to lower the sum that was granted to me by the court."

"I'm delighted and relieved that they have acknowledged and realized their error, and they have expressed a willingness to extend an apology." But I do believe that a certain degree of monetary loss is necessary.When the subject is heard next, we will debate the quantum problem," he said.