Free Speech vs Defamation: SC Quashes Builder’s Complaint – Justice K.V. Viswanathan in Shahed Kamal Case
The defamation charges against homeowners who were demonstrating against a builder were dismissed by the Supreme Court of India, which affirmed the homebuyers’ fundamental right to peaceful dissent in accordance with Article 19(1)(a). The verdict sheds light on important problems in defamation law, particularly the Ninth Exception to Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code.