City Advocate Convicted in High-Profile Defamation Case

A city-based advocate, Naveen Chomal, was convicted in a defamation case initiated by IPS officer K M M Prasanna. The court sentenced Chomal to one month of imprisonment and a fine, but the sentence was suspended pending appeal. The case arose from allegations linking the officer to a drug syndicate.

A magistrate court on Friday found city-based advocate Naveen Chomal guilty in a defamation case initiated by IPS officer K M M Prasanna. The case centered around allegations linking Prasanna to a drug syndicate, which were published following statements by Chomal. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Hemant Joshi handed down a one-month imprisonment sentence and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Chomal, based on IPC Section 500 (defamation). However, the sentence has been suspended to allow for an appeal to a higher court.

The controversy dates back to March 2015, when police arrested constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe in possession of around 12 kilograms of narcotics in Satara. During a subsequent court production, Chomal claimed that Kalokhe had implicated Prasanna in a drug racket. These allegations were later published, causing significant damage to Prasanna's reputation. Upon further investigation by the Maharashtra Director General of Police, it was confirmed that the Satara police had not interrogated Kalokhe about the officer's involvement in the drug syndicate. In light of this, Prasanna filed a defamation complaint against Chomal.

In reaching its decision, the court took into consideration all the evidence and concluded that Chomal's actions were intended to harm Prasanna's reputation. The decision highlights the legal ramifications of defamatory statements and underscores the importance of responsible representation and reporting.

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