In a significant development, the Delhi High Court issued notices on Wednesday regarding a plea to add a sponsor as a party in a defamation lawsuit involving a US-based businessman. The court is addressing claims of sponsored defamatory content against entrepreneur Gaurav Srivastava, highlighting issues around accountability in sponsored journalism.
Gaurav Srivastava, an entrepreneur-investor residing in Los Angeles, alleges that several media outlets and online platforms have circulated false articles about him, aiming to enhance their revenue at the expense of his reputation. These publications, according to Srivastava, were made without proper verification of the facts.
The case focuses on a particular article published by The Tribune, which Srivastava claims contained malicious defamatory statements about him. The article in question was marked as sponsored content, a detail that has become central to the proceedings.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna presided over the session, during which The Tribune confirmed compliance with previous court orders to disclose the original sponsor of the contentious article. The disclosure named Examplad Media Private Limited, prompting Srivastava to request the addition of both Examplad and Sachin Bharadwaj (who provided the article to Examplad) as defendants in the lawsuit.
Senior advocate Rajesh Yadav, representing Srivastava, emphasized the need for accountability from those involved in the publication process. The court agreed to issue notices to Examplad Media and Sachin Bharadwaj, with a further hearing scheduled for July 4.
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