SC dismisses appeal against HC order allowing book on Asaram Bapu
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However, Bench offers petitioner liberty to current her contentions earlier than the trial courtroom for a treatment
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal against an interim order of the Delhi High Court allowing the publication of a book on the “true story behind” the conviction of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu for sexually assaulting a minor at his ashram.
A 3-judge Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar rejected the appeal filed by Sanchita Gupta against writer Harper Collins.
Gupta, represented by senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, contended that the book, ‘Gunning for the Godman: The True Story Behind Asaram Bapu’s Conviction’, contained defamatory and baseless materials against her. She was the warden of the ashram.
She argued that the book prejudices her appeal against her conviction as an “accomplice” of the godman within the ashram. She sought to guard her fame and proper to honest title past the conviction.
Gupta mentioned the Delhi High Court choice of September 22 to put aside a trial courtroom’s ex-parte injunction on publication was primarily based on “flimsy grounds.”
But the apex courtroom disagreed along with her.
“We decline to interfere in this special leave petition. The special leave petition is, accordingly, dismissed,” the Supreme Court recorded in its order.
However, the Bench gave Gupta liberty to current her contentions earlier than the trial courtroom for a treatment. The Bench mentioned the trial courtroom ought to go on to resolve the case on deserves, uninfluenced by the observations made by the Delhi High Court on September 22.
Free speech
In its September 22 order, the High Court had famous that it could be “against the principles of free speech to debar all discussion on a subject, especially regarding a court verdict which is available in the public domain.”
The High Court had mentioned there could possibly be no bar on a book if it concerned solely a good dialogue on deserves of the case with out malice.
The book, alleged to be a real story of the details surrounding the conviction of self-styled godman, is authored by Ajay Lamba, Additional Commissioner of Police, Jaipur, and Sanjiv Mathur.
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