The Bombay High Court recently granted interim relief to Zilingo founder Ankiti Bose in a defamation suit filed by her against Pinstorm founder Mahesh Murthy in relation to certain articles written by him in a magazine.
The court has issued a permanent injunction against the defendants from publishing any such remarks in the future. The case revolved around defamatory remarks in an article published in March 2023 by the defendant Murthy. Bose, co-founder of the e-commerce startup Zilingo, had sought a declaration that the comments were defamatory and tortious, causing significant reputational damage.
In its decision, the court refuted the defendant’s statement that the article did not refer to the plaintiff directly. Having closely examined the article, the court found that despite the absence of a direct reference to Ankiti Bose, the evidence linked the remarks clearly to her as she is the only female co-founder of the fashion portal named in the article. Consequently, the Court ruled in favour of Ankiti Bose, highlighting its commitment to protecting individuals against misleading comments, even if they are made using indirect language.
“We are pleased that the honourable court has taken cognizance of our client’s grievances and granted her injunctive relief. Ms. Bose has undergone significant distress as a result of malicious and unfounded media hitjobs including the “opinion” in Outlook Business authored by Mr. Murthy. Ms Bose has always reposed faith in the wisdom and sanctity of Indian courts and we are pleased that the honourable court has granted our client’s requests. Our client will continue to seek recourse against other malicious misinformation and defamatory campaigns being run by media agencies,” said Pradeep Jain, Singhania & Co LLP.
The court has issued a permanent injunction against the defendants from publishing any such remarks in the future. The case revolved around defamatory remarks in an article published in March 2023 by the defendant Murthy. Bose, co-founder of the e-commerce startup Zilingo, had sought a declaration that the comments were defamatory and tortious, causing significant reputational damage.
In its decision, the court refuted the defendant’s statement that the article did not refer to the plaintiff directly. Having closely examined the article, the court found that despite the absence of a direct reference to Ankiti Bose, the evidence linked the remarks clearly to her as she is the only female co-founder of the fashion portal named in the article. Consequently, the Court ruled in favour of Ankiti Bose, highlighting its commitment to protecting individuals against misleading comments, even if they are made using indirect language.
“We are pleased that the honourable court has taken cognizance of our client’s grievances and granted her injunctive relief. Ms. Bose has undergone significant distress as a result of malicious and unfounded media hitjobs including the “opinion” in Outlook Business authored by Mr. Murthy. Ms Bose has always reposed faith in the wisdom and sanctity of Indian courts and we are pleased that the honourable court has granted our client’s requests. Our client will continue to seek recourse against other malicious misinformation and defamatory campaigns being run by media agencies,” said Pradeep Jain, Singhania & Co LLP.
