Defamation Case Filed Against Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi For Allegedly Making False Statements Against APW President In His Book

Rupees One Crore defamation case and a petition seeking an injunction to restrain his autobiography has been filed against Rajya Sabha MP and former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi by Assam Public Works (APW) president Aabhijeet Sharma at a Court in Gauhati.

Sharma filed the defamation case against Gogoi and Rupa Publications, the publisher of his autobiography 'Justice for a Judge', for alleged misleading and defamatory statements against him in the book.

He also filed a petition seeking an ad-interim injunction restraining Gogoi and his publisher from further publishing, distributing or selling any book which has defamatory statements and imputations against him.

The defamation case and the petition for the injunction were filed at the Kamrup Metros district court.

It was heard on Tuesday and the court in its ruling on Wednesday said that after going through the petition and documents it is found that there is 'substantial question both of law and facts to be adjudicated'.

The Court directed issuing of summons to both the petitioner and the defendants and posted the next date of hearing for June 3.

In the injunction case, the judge ruled that it was found that the matter was not emergent in nature to grant any ex-parte order without hearing the opposite parties.

The court directed issuing of summons to the parties involved and fixed the next date of hearing also on June 3.

APW was the first to petition the Supreme Court to strike out the names of illegal migrants from the voters' list in Assam, which lead to the updation of the National Register of Citizens in the northeastern state.

Sharma alleged that imputations against him in the book are inherently false and malicious and have been made with "clear intention to defame" him.

There is not an iota of proof against the applicant to substantiate the inherently false, baseless and malafide allegations made against him in the book, he claimed in his petition.

Sharma in his petition said that he enjoyed an 'unblemished reputation" but the "false, baseless and defamatory allegations" by Gogoi in his autobiography "maligned and irreparably tarnished" his image in the eyes of the general public, friends and family, causing him deep mental agony and anguish.

"Ihave never made any personal attack on Gogoi while he was serving in the highest post of adjudicator of India," the APW president pointed out in his petition. Gogoi had served as the 46th chief justice of India from 2018 to 19.

"Justice For The Judge: An Autobiography" was released in 2021. The book has been described by the publisher as, "Clear-eyed, inspiring and incisive, this is the story of a man of consummate ambition, who made a significant and lasting mark on India's judicial landscape".

In his book, Justice Gogoi has reflected upon the double standards of Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde on sealed cover procedures and has also dedicated a chapter on the important judgments authored by him.

In his autobiography, Justice Gogoi has commented on the stand of Justice A.P. Shah, a former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on the matter of in-house inquiry procedure followed by the Supreme Court on allegations of misconduct against Judges.

With PTI Inputs