Kolkata
Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya announced on Wednesday that he will file a criminal defamation case against Kolkata-based lawyer Santanu Sinha for allegedly making ‘slanderous’ remarks about him on social media. In a post on X, Malviya stated, Santanu Sinha’s slanderous Facebook post on June 7, 2024, has painted a picture of a compromised political system that objectifies women. It reduces professional relationships between genders to demeaning binaries, particularly disrespecting women.
Malviya also criticized the Trinamool Congress and the Indian National Congress, accusing them of propagating the false information instead of defending women’s dignity. On June 8, my lawyers served a legal notice to Santanu Sinha, demanding an unconditional apology. His retraction on June 11, 2024, was neither unequivocal nor met the legal notice’s demands. His apology is problematic and insufficient, Malviya added.
Malviya described the post as defamatory, calculated, and malicious, with its widespread dissemination by opposition parties exacerbating the defamation. Consequently, he decided to pursue criminal defamation charges against Sinha under appropriate sections of the IPC and explore other civil remedies as advised.
In response, Santanu Sinha, who was served a legal notice for making false and defamatory allegations, claimed his statements were misinterpreted. Sinha expressed heartfelt sorrow if his post hurt Malviya but refused to withdraw it. Since I did not intend to malign anyone, I am not withdrawing the post, he stated in a Facebook post.
Malviya’s lawyer, in the legal notice, asserted that Sinha made false and defamatory allegations with the intent to damage Malviya’s reputation.
