Delhi High Court Awards ₹5 Lakh Damages To TV Today Over Defamatory Tweets Against Rajdeep Sardesai After Rhea Chakraborty Interview

The Delhi High Court has awarded Rs. 5 Lakh as damages to TV Today Network over defamatory tweets by an 'X' (formerly Twitter) user against its anchor Rajdeep Sardesai after his exclusive interview with actor Rhea Chakraborty in 2020.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said that the “objectionable tweets” by X user Anurag Srivastava were “highly defamatory” and remained "unsubstantiated" by him, "despite having been afforded sufficient opportunity to do so".

Deprecating the “irresponsible act” on part of Srivastava, the Court ordered:

“Having considered the overall circumstances, this Court deems it just and proper to award Rs. 5,00,000/- as general compensatory damages to the plaintiff, to redress the reputational harm, emotional hardship, and loss of professional credibility caused by the conduct of the defendant.”

The Court disposed of the suit filed in 2020 by TV Today Network–which owns news channels India Today and Aaj Tak, against Srivastava and Twitter.

On August 27, 2020, Sardesai conducted an interview with Chakraborty at 7 pm under a special segment titled 'Super Explosive'.

Srivastava posted a tweet the next day, calling Sardesai “dalla.” TV Today said that by calling Sardesai a pimp, Srivastava targeted its prominent anchor and that the use of such word was abusive and defamatory.

Another tweet was posted by Srivastava on August 26, 2020, saying: “There is no difference between Rajdeep Sardesai and Zakir Naik #ShameOnAajTak.”

On September 09, 2020, another tweet was made saying “Rhea Chakraborty allegedly gave Rs.8 crores to Rajdeep Sardesai and India Today for her interview. RIP 4th Pillar of Democracy.”

In September, 2020, a coordinate bench had restrained Srivastava from publishing or re-publishing or posting any tweet or information in the electronic mode or through internet email of social media against Sardesai and TV Today.

Later, the suit was partially decreed after Srivastava took down the tweets and posts from his Twitter account and undertook not to directly or indirectly publish, republish or post any tweets anywhere. The only surviving issue related to damages and costs in favour of the news company.

Disposing of the suit finally, Justice Kaurav noted that since filing of his affidavit, Srivastava did not publish, republish or in any manner defamed the reputation of TV Today.

“So far as the quantum of damages is concerned, in absence of there being any mathematical formula to assess the defamation, the Court has to apply the principle of general damages,” the Court concluded. 

Title: TV Today v. Anurag Srivastava & And

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 1190