In a notable ruling involving defamation during divorce proceedings, the Calcutta High Court has imposed a ₹1 lakh fine on a woman for publishing false and defamatory public notices against her husband in The Telegraph newspaper.
Justice Supratim Bhattacharya of the High Court’s Circuit Bench at Port Blair held that the woman had damaged the husband’s reputation and goodwill by alleging—without evidence—that he intended to remarry while still legally married to her. The Court emphasized that these public notices, published twice, lacked factual basis and were released during the pendency of their divorce litigation, amounting to reputational harm.
“The wife has published notices without verifying facts or naming the alleged second woman, thereby defaming the husband in the eyes of the public,” the Court observed.
The ruling came in response to the wife’s appeal against a prior decision by the first appellate court, which had directed her to pay ₹2 lakh in damages. The High Court modified the amount, reducing it to ₹1 lakh.
Senior Advocate Anjili Nag appeared for the husband, while Advocate KMB Jayapal represented the wife.
