Party can be made accused in defamation cases: HC

REJECTING BJP's contention that it is a political party and not a 'person' to initiate defamation proceedings against it, the Karnataka High Court said that not just a person, even an association of individuals including entities like political parties can be arrayed as accused in criminal defamation cases.

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"I am of the considered opinion that the word 'whoever' inter alia employed in Sections 499 and 500 of IPC implicitly includes an association of individuals, whether incorporated or not like the petitioner herein and such entities can be arrayed as accused in criminal proceedings of the kind," said Justice Krishna S Dixit, dismissing the petition filed by BJP, represented by its then president Nalin Kumar Kateel. He had questioned the defamatory case filed by Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad.