Defamation Case Against 'The Wire' : No Dossier Calling University 'Den Of Organised Sex Racket' Received, JNU Tells Supreme Court

In relation to the defamation case filed by Professor Amrita Singh against 'The Wire', the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) informed the Supreme Court on Friday (October 6) that it has not received any dossier which was allegedly prepared by Professor Singh describing the University as a "den of organised sex racket".

Ex-JNU Professor Singh has filed a criminal defamation case over a report published in 'The Wire' that she prepared a dossier allegedly depicting JNU as a “Den of Organised Sex Racket”. In 2023, the Delhi High Court quashed the summons issued against the Editor and Deputy Editor of 'The Wire' in Singh's defamation case. Challenging the High Court's order, she approached the Supreme Court.

While issuing notice on the petition, the Court had earlier asked the JNU to ascertain if such a dossier was submitted. Today, the bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was told that the JNU VC has filed an affidavit.

After hearing the counsel, the Court pronounced its order stating:

“The affidavit filed by JNU states that on the basis of the record maintained by the academic section of the JNU, no dossier of the description matching the contents of the petition was received…. This, according to the petitioner, strengthens her case. Respondent 1 and 2 have also filed their affidavits. Ld. Counsel of the petitioner seeks to submit that they were received only yesterday and would like to file a rejoinder within two weeks. List on November 21.”

Factual Background

The complaint was filed by Singh in 2016 wherein she has referred to an article written by the Wire’s Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha in April 2016 titled “Dossier Call JNU “Den of Organised Sex Racket”; Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign”. Singh had claimed that the publication imputed that she prepared a dossier allegedly depicting JNU as a “Den of Organised Sex Racket”.

The complaint alleged that the Editor did not verify the authenticity of the Dossier and used it for monetary benefits of its magazine, defaming Singh’s reputation. Moreover, in the complaint, she had also alleged that that the accused persons have started hate campaign against the her to malign the reputation. The summoning order was passed against the Wire’s Editor Siddharth Bhatia and Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad by a Delhi metropolitan court in 2017.

In March 2023, the Delhi High Court quashed the summoning order observing that there is nothing therein that could be considered to be defamatory against Singh. The Court recorded:

“…. the aforesaid caption only says that the dossier called JNU a “den of organised sex racket”, but nothing in the extract says anything against the respondent herself, much less anything that could be taken to be defamatory of the respondent.”

Case Title: Amita Singh v. The Wire Through its Editor Siddharth Bhatia And Anr. SLP(Crl) No. 6146/2023