Defamation: Delhi High Court Directs Karma News To Take Down Article Accusing Organizers Of 'Cutting South' Event Of 'Distorting' India's Map

The Delhi High Court has directed Karma News, a Kerala-based news channel, to take down an article on “Cutting South 2023” event accusing media outlet Newslaundry and other organizers of the programme of “corruption” and “distorting the map of India.”

Justice Anish Dayal passed the order noting that the article was published after a coordinate bench had passed the order on July 06, 2023, wherein a statement was made by Karma News' counsel that nothing will be published directly or indirectly referring to the pending dispute.

Cutting South event was held in Kochi in March 2023. Newslaundry, Confluence Media, along with The News Minute, had partnered with the Kerala Media Academy in Kochi to host the media event to celebrate journalism.

In 2023, a defamation suit was filed by Newslaundry and Confluence Media Online Ventures Private Limited against Karma News for “launching a misinformation campaign” against it and other media organizations which hosted the event.

On February 13, the plaintiffs' counsel referred to the article published by Karma News on July 01, 2024 after the judicial order was passed in 2023.

The article titled “Josie Joseph's American Journey Under Central Agency Scrutiny, Reports Emerge” alleged that the organizers received funding from Canada to conduct the event and that the same was carried out by distorting India's map.

“Court has perused the said article. Considering that this article was published after the order was passed on 6th July 2023, the defendants are directed to take down the said article from their website,” the Court directed.

It also asked Karma News to file affidavit of compliance of the order and to further indicate if there were any other articles disseminated after the order of July 06, 2023.

The matter will now be heard on May 19.

In the defamation suit, the plaintiffs have sought an apology from Karma News along with Rs. 2 Crores as damages and compensation.

As per the suit, the name "Cutting South 2023" does not connote to divide anything and in fact, has been coined from the usage of “Cutting Chai” which implies a local tea with added flavors. The suit adds that the name is “meant to be connote a sense of nostalgia, familiarity truth and comfort.”

“To the shock and surprise of the Plaintiffs, soon after the event and even during the same, the Defendant No. 1 launched a campaign misinformation beginning 24.03.2023, and since then have done a series of stories and telecasts (including videos ori the web portals of Defendant No. 2) · against the prestigious event with malicious intent to damage the reputation of the Plaintiffs who came together for the event,” the plaint reads.

Some of the allegations made by the defendant news channel, as per the suit, are that the plaintiff news entities “intend to separate the country and divide India into North and South creating a United States of India or South India”; that the event is a “program of a larger terrorist movement and an anti-national movement of the people who are trying to divide the country.”

The suit has been filed through Advocates Uddav Khanna and Krishan Kumar. Newslaundry and Confluence Media was represented by Advocate Bani Dikshit.

Title: News Laundry Media Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. v. Galaxy Zoom India Pvt. Ltd. and Anr

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 200

Click here to read order