Senior journalist and RTV head Ravi Prakash has received relief from the Bombay High Court in a defamation complaint linked to a news report aired during his time at TV9.
The court set aside a 2017 order that initiated criminal proceedings against Ravi Prakash Velicheti and former TV9 director Narsimha Mangipudi.
The complaint was filed by Mumbai Police officer Rajesh Sawane over a video aired by TV9 in December 2013. Sawane alleged that the channel presented the incident in a biased manner and damaged his reputation.
The original complaint reportedly named only the channel’s editor. Ravi Prakash and Mangipudi were added later because they were managing directors of the company.
The High Court noted that the complainant’s statement was not verified again after their names were added. It also found that the complaint did not contain specific allegations explaining their individual roles.
The court therefore quashed the order initiating proceedings against them and directed the trial court to resume the matter from the verification stage. However, it did not dismiss the original complaint or express any opinion on its merits.
