Caravan defamation case: Editor-in-chief and reporter summoned by Delhi court

Hours after senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, editor-in-chief of The Caravan magazine Paresh Nath, and reporter Kaushal Shroff were summoned by a Delhi court in a defamation case, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval on Saturday said he has full faith in judiciary and expressed hope that the accused persons are punished. "I have full faith in the judiciary where I have submitted all my evidence and details. I believe justice will be served and perpetrators of these vindictive and malicious allegations against me will be bought to justice. I hope they are punished," Vivek told ANI.

Earlier today, the Patiala House Court issued summons as an 'accused' against Ramesh, Nath, and Shroff in the defamation case filed by Vivek. All the accused have to appear before the court on April 25. On January 21, Vivek had filed a criminal defamation case against Ramesh and the two journalists, contending that they had caused "irreparable damage" to his reputation "through calculated insinuations and innuendos."

Vivek alleged that Ramesh and the two scribes have committed the offense of defamation punishable under Section 500 of IPC (which provides for simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) read with Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy). Vivek, his business partner Amit Sharma, and friend Nikhil Kapoor have already recorded their statements in connection to the matter.

Vivek had filed the complaint against the magazine for the alleged defamatory article and Ramesh for using the content to defame him on wrong facts. The Caravan article claimed that Vivek was running a hedge fund whose promoters are of dubious antecedents. In his plea, Vivek had alleged that the accused had deliberately maligned and defamed him just to settle scores with his father.