Lawfare – Defamation, Journalists

Senior journalist Irani Sonowal Lepcha has been acquitted in a defamation case filed by former Advisor to the Chief Minister, Sotai Kri. The case was dismissed by Namsai Judicial Magistrate First Class Lobsang Wangdi Bapu for non-prosecution, marking a key moment for press freedom in the state.

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Speaking after the verdict, Irani expressed relief, “This verdict is a big relief and shows that truth always wins, for almost 2 years, I went through a lot of mental stress because of this case. I had to travel many times from Itanagar to Namsai, carrying my infant child, just to attend the hearings. Even though the case had no strong basis, a bailable arrest warrant was issued against me. It felt like punishment for simply doing my job.”

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The defamation case traces its roots to November 29, 2019, when EastMojo published a report titled “Arunachal: Land Mafia near China border risking national security?” The article named Sotai Kri, which allegedly prompted him to issue telephonic threats to Lepcha and lodge a police complaint at Tezu.