The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday quashed criminal proceedings against Union Minister Babul Supriyo on the basis of a chargesheet filed by the Kolkata Police in an FIR lodged by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on the grounds that the “chargesheet does not disclose commission of any offence under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code...”
However, the court observed that the utterance made by the Minister was “defamatory statement within the meaning of Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code” and added that Ms. Moitra was “at liberty to take any action, according to law, if available to her against the petitioner before the appropriate forum and in such case”.
The case pertains to January 2017, when during a debate on a news channel Mr. Supriyo, the BJP MP from Asansol, made the comment.
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