Mumbai court admits Rs 500 cr defamation case against Mistry
The 23rd Criminal Court of Magistrate in Mumbai has initiated the process against ousted Tata chairman Cyrus P. Mistry, Shapoor Mistry and others in a Rs 500 crore defamation complaint lodged last month by Tata Trusts' Managing Trustee R. Venkataramanan. They will have to appear before the court and execute bail bonds.
Venkataramanan has accused Mistry and others of making false and defamatory statements against him, thus damaging his reputation. At the hearings, the court upheld the arguments of Venkataramanan's counsel Parvez Memon that under the Constitution's Article 21 protecting a citizen's right to life is inclusive of the right to live with dignity and that all are equal in the eyes of the law under it.
Advocate Memon confirmed the development. He told Free Press Journal, “It is a defamation case that has been filed based on three counts. The defamatory insinuations in Cyrus Mistry’s letter dated October 25, 2016, followed by the NCLT petition filed through his brother and his companies, in which he is a 50 per cent shareholder and a director. “He further exaggerated the baseless insinuations through his affidavit in reply, supporting the original allegations in the petition.”
It was argued that while Cyrus Mistry is a man with substantial wealth, the value of Venkataramanan's dignity is much more. Cyrus Mistry cannot be let off for his reckless and irresponsible insinuations which were all false and baseless.
Cyrus Mistry, Shapoorji Mistry and other directors of his companies will now have to appear before the court and execute bail bonds. Thereafter charges will be framed against them to face prosecution under Section 500 and 120(b) of the IPC. The next hearing will be held on August 24.