MUMBAI: TV Today Network Limited has filed a defamation suit against the private FM radio operator Radio City to the tune of Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) in the Mumbai High Court. A statement issued by TV Today states that the suit has been filed for airing defamatory remarks against the TV Today Network Limited and its consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai. The court has granted TV Today Network Limited interim relief. Radio City has now given an undertaking not to rebroadcast the defamatory content.
The case was filed in connection with Radio City’s defamatory comments on a show aired on 17 June, in connection with an interview of former IPL chief Lalit Modi conducted by India Today consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai. The broadcast company alleges that the radio station made comments which tarnished and defamed the plaintiff. The case was listed and heard in the court of Justice Gautam Patel. Besides granting injunction against re-broadcast, Radio City has also given an undertaking that they will not disseminate the offensive content which is subject matter of the suit on any other media including all forms of printed, digital and audio or audit visual dissemination including without limitation any such dissemination by SMS, Whatsapp or any other communication mode using a smart phone, cellular device, handheld devise or computer in addition to print and tangible media. Earlier, Jagran Prakashan Ltd (JPL), the publisher of leading Hindi daily ‘Dainik Jagran’, had completed the acquisition of Radio City. JPL had received the approval of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for the takeover on 28 May. Radio City operates 20 stations across seven states.
