Hearing a plea challenging the summons issued by a Magistrate’s court in a case of alleged criminal defamation for an online article in relation to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Supreme Court Monday remarked that it was time to decriminalise such matters.
“It’s time to decriminalise all this,” Justice M M Sundresh, presiding over a two-judge bench, remarked orally.
The bench, also comprising Justice S C Sharma, was hearing the appeal filed by the Foundation for Independent Journalism, which runs the portal, and its journalist Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha, seeking quashing of the summons issued to them over the 2016 article titled “Dossier Call JNU “Den of Organised Sex Racket”; Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign”.
