High Court directs Tamil magazine Nakkheeran to remove ‘Defamatory’ content against Isha Foundation

In a decisive move to protect reputational rights, the Delhi High Court directed Tamil media outlet Nakkheeran Publications to remove allegedly defamatory material targeting Isha Foundation. The Court also refused to throw out the defamation suit at the threshold, allowing the proceedings to continue, signalling a strict stance against premature dismissal of serious defamation claims.

The dispute arose when Isha Foundation initiated a defamation suit seeking Rs.3 crore in damages, alleging that certain publications had harmed its reputation. In response, Nakkheeran Publications attempted to halt the case at the outset by filing an application under procedural law to reject the plaint. Parallelly, the matter reached the Supreme Court through a transfer petition seeking relocation of the case to Chennai. However, the apex court directed the parties to pursue their remedies before the High Court, including interim relief against the publication of contentious content.

Justice Subramonium Prasad made it clear that the suit disclosed sufficient grounds to proceed and could not be dismissed at this stage. Taking a firm view on the content in question, the Court ordered immediate removal, stating, “Order 7 Rule 11 dismissed. Directed to bring it all down.”

The ruling effectively clears the way for a full-fledged trial while granting interim protection to the plaintiff’s reputation.