Calling Someone ‘Gunda’ or Alleging ‘Gunda Raj’ Without Evidence Amounts to Defamation; Newspaper’s Chief Editor Convicted: Himachal Pradesh High Court

In a significant judgment under Section 500, Indian Penal Code, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has convicted a newspaper editor for publishing defamatory material against a private individual without any basis or verification. The case involved the complainant Gopal Chand, a resident of Gram Panchayat Sirmour District, who alleged that he was falsely accused and defamed in a newspaper article published by Vijay Gupta, the Chief Editor of Him Ujala…