Supreme Court Upholds Quashing of Defamation Summon Against Chautala

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed by a retired IPS officer, Param Vir Rathee, challenging an order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This order had quashed the summoning of Indian National Lok Dal chief Abhay Singh Chautala in a longstanding defamation case.

A bench consisting of Justices M M Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma stated it was not willing to interfere with the high court's decision, which was initially challenged by Rathee. The controversy dates back to 2008, when the retired officer accused Chautala of making defamatory statements published in various newspapers, damaging his reputation.

The high court ruled that Rathee had not provided sufficient evidence of malice or intent in Chautala's alleged statements, leading to the case's dismissal. As a result, the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the high court's order marks the conclusion of this prolonged legal dispute.

(With inputs from agencies.)