Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George has filed a criminal defamation suit against Arnab Goswami and Times Now, accusing him and the channel he was working with as an editor-in-chief until November last year of making false propaganda over the death of IAS officer D.K Ravi in March 2015.
According to a report by Deccan Chronicle, the defamation suit lodged under various sections of the IPC states that during the “Prime Time” debate the former Times Now Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami alleged that the death of the IAS officer was not a suicide but a murder in which the then Home Minister, K.J George was involved. Arnab during the debate also claimed that Mr George had destroyed all the evidence to make it look like a suicide.
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“I have been in public service for over 40 years. With the publication of such fake news, my reputation as an honest citizen has been affected. The programme was aimed at destroying the support I have in my constituency (Sarvanga Nagar),” Deccan Chronicle reported quoting minister K.J George.
Ajesh Kumar Shankar, the advocate for George said that D.K Ravi died on March 16, 2015. However, Arnab Goswami 'without investigation or evidence' declared his death to be a 'murder' and accused K.J George.
“Arnab Goswami had also accused my client K.J George of running a mafia and destroying evidences. This amounts to interfering in the judicial process and hence the complaint has been filed," Deccan Chronicle reported quoting Shankar.
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Along with the criminal defamation suit, a civil defamation case has also been filed against Arnab Goswami demanding a compensation for the false and malicious statements made during the debate show on the news channel without any evidence and causing damage to the reputation of the minister.
The complaint quotes 46 statements aired by Times Now between March 17 and 23, 2015 - some made by Arnab Goswami on screen, and others run as tickers on the show. According to the complaint, Arnab called KJ George a “gangster, murderer, a destroyer of evidence” reported DC.
"I took two years to file the complaint as I was waiting for the CBI probe to conclude," said K.J George.
The court has asked Minister K.J George to submit his sworn statement on August 19.
