Actor and former Member of Parliament Divya Spandana, who was known as Ramya when working in the film industry, has won a defamation case against Suvarna News 24X7, a Kannada news channel, and Asianet News Network Pvt. Ltd., its holding firm.
The city civil court recently awarded the plaintiff Ms. Spandana ₹50 lakh as damages to be paid by the defendants in the next two months. Judge Patil Nagalinganagouda of VIII Additional City Civil and Sessions Court delivered the judgment on April 26.
Ms. Spandana filed the defamation case against the channel and its holding company in 2013 over two reports aired on the channel about her being involved in IPL cricket betting. The channel also ran scrolls saying Ms. Spandana was the first actor to enter IPL and she participated in night parties of IPL, suggesting she was involved in the betting ring.
Ms. Spandana was the brand ambassador for Bengaluru’s IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2008, but was no longer associated with the team in 2013 when the reports were aired. The judgment, a copy of which is available with The Hindu, states: “This court is of the opinion that act of the defendants is in complete violation of journalistic ethics and deliberately to destroy the popularity of the plaintiff...” While the actor had sought damages of ₹10 crore, the court awarded damages of ₹50 lakh apart from an injunction against telecasting any such programme on air.
On Wednesday, Ms. Spandana tweeted: “Justice has been delivered and I am relieved and grateful.”
