'Public Person Should Be Thick Skinned...': Delhi High Court To Gautam Gambhir On Defamation Suit

Gautam Gambhir has sought damages worth INR 2 crores which will go to charity.

Gambhir has alleged that a series of articles were published in an attempt to create a false narrative narrative about his work as a politician.

Source : PTI

The Delhi High Court on May 17, Wednesday, stated that people in public life such as politicians or judges have to be thick-skinned in day and age of social media. The remark from the court came when the bench started hearing Member of Parliament from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir's defamation suit against a Hindi newspaper Punjab Kesari. The cricketer-turned-politician has sought damages worth INR 2 crores which will go to charity.

Justice Chandra Dhari Singh did issue notices to the editor and the reporters of the newspaper to respond to the suit but declined the request of the member of India's T20 and ODI World Cup winning squad for an injunction order. The reasoning was that a blanket order could not be issued.

Notably, Gambhir has alleged that a series of articles in Punjab Kesari were published in an attempt to create a false narrative defamatory narrative about his work as a politician. He said that the aricles tainted him "as a casteist person".

"If the reporter has gone to the area and found such comments being made then... You are a public servant, an elected person, you need not be so sensitive.....Any public person should be thick-skinned. With this social media and all, even judges have to be thick-skinned," justice Singh said.

It has been accused in Gambhir's suit that the editor and the reportes of the newspaper has misused and abused their journalistic freedom. It was contended that in a specific report carried by the newspaper went on to compare him with mythical demon, 'Bhasmasur'. 

The Delhi High Court did note that some of the words and language used in the newspaper wasn't appropriate. 

"Does this person live in your constituency? If he is a voter for you, then he can say things like that. This is on the lighter side... If you read all the articles, it is my prima facie opinion that the reporter is behind this person. Some of the words and sentences that he has used are not proper for your paper," the judge said.

The court was satisfied that that matter requires consideration and issued notices. The next hearing for the case is scheduled for October.