The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by Karnataka cabinet minister Shivananda S Patil challenging a Karnataka High Court order that had quashed a defamation case he initiated against BJP MLA Basanagouda R Patil Yatnal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran made it clear that political rivalries should not be fought in courtrooms. “I always tell you all that fight political battles outside the court and not here,” remarked CJI Gavai as the hearing began.
Patil had moved the top court against the High Court’s September 28, 2024 order, which quashed the defamation proceedings on procedural grounds. His counsel argued that the defamatory statements made by Yatnal during a public rally ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections had tarnished the minister’s reputation and that due process was followed while filing the complaint under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
However, the bench was not convinced. Initially, the court imposed a cost of ₹25,000 on Patil for filing the appeal, which was later dramatically raised to ₹1 crore before being waived altogether. Eventually, the court allowed the minister to withdraw his petition.
The defamation case had been dismissed earlier by the Karnataka High Court on the grounds that the magistrate had failed to comply with the mandatory procedures laid down under the BNSS. Specifically, the High Court found that the magistrate had taken cognisance of the complaint without first examining the complainant and witnesses under oath and without giving the accused a prior opportunity to respond — procedural lapses deemed sufficient to vitiate the proceedings.
