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The Supreme Court has put a hold on the criminal defamation case against Aroon Purie, head of the India Today group, in connection with a televised debate aired last year.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued the stay after hearing senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who represented Purie.
In its May 19 order, the court stated, “Further proceedings in Complaint Case No. 2540(C) of 2024, currently pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Patna, shall remain suspended until further notice.”
Purie had approached the apex court challenging a March 24 decision by the Patna High Court, which had rejected his request to quash the summons issued in the defamation matter.
The complaint stems from a 2024 news panel discussion focused on political developments within Bihar’s Janata Dal (United), particularly media speculation about possible changes in leadership involving figures like Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad, and Lallan Singh.