Court restrains suspended IGP from posting ‘derogatory’ remarks against DGP’s ‘acquaintances’
Srinagar: A local court in Jammu has directed the suspended top cop, Basant Rath, not to publish any post or material defamatory or derogatory against six persons from Jammu who claim to be acquaintances of the J&K Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbagh Singh.
The order was passed by 2nd Additional Munsif Jammu, Jeewan Kumar Sharma, on a suit filed by Parveen Kumar Mittal, Virender Dubey, Saurabh Dang, Rahul Bansal, Davinder Verma and Amit Kohli.
The applicants, mostly businessmen, had sought a decree of permanent prohibitory injunction, restraining Rath from posting any defamatory, derogatory, libel or slanderous posts or material on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others against them.
They pleaded before the court that Rath has made expressions, representations and gestures against them which on the face of it “are opposing the decency and morality, besides being defamatory in its nature”.
They, through their lawyer, told the court that they were acquainted with the current DGP, Dilbagh Singh and had family relations with him.
It appears that (Rath) has some personal grouse against Dilbagh Singh and in this regard, he is maligning not only his image but theirs as well, they added.
“(Rath) in his various posts refers to the Director General of Police as DILLOO and has alleged various allegations of land-grabbing besides other allegation of connivance and statements which are defamatory and derogatory to the plaintiffs,” they said.
“The plaintiffs have been made victims of the alleged in-differences between the defendant and some higher officials in the Police department. Plaintiffs have no concern whatsoever with the defendant and also have no past antecedents which authorize the defendant to resort to the illegalities and unauthorized posts defaming the plaintiffs and making derogatory remarks against the plaintiffs,” their application read.
After hearing their counsel, the court issued notice to Rath for filing a written statement in the main suit as well as objections in the application for grant of temporary injunction.
In the meanwhile the court directed him (Rath) “not to publish any post or material by any means of communication which is defamatory or derogatory against the plaintiffs which has an effect of injuring the reputation of the plaintiffs in the society till next date of hearing.”
The order is, however, subject to objections from the other side and the matter has been listed again on 25th of this month.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had on Tuesday suspended Rath, a 2000-batch IPS officer, and asked him not to leave the headquarters without permission of the DGP J&K.
Rashid Paul is Associate Editor at Kashmir Images.
He can be reached at [email protected]
