Palemar demands Rs. 25 crores from Suvarna news channel

Palemar demands Rs. 25 crores from Suvarna news channel

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 27, 2012 : MLA Krishna J. Palemar, the former district-in-charge minister for DK, has sued the editorial committee and owners of Suvarna 24x7 news channel, seeking Rs. 25 crore in damages for broadcasting false news regarding the porn viewing scandal during assembly session.

P. P. Hegde, Palemar’s legal representative, arguing the case in court, cited the verdict delivered by Mumbai High Court directing Times Now to pay Rs. 100 crore in damages to P. B. Sawant, the retired Supreme Court judge, for publishing his picture in relation to a corruption case with which he had nothing to do. The SC also allowed Times Now to submit an appeal against the judgment only after it deposited a sum of Rs. 100 crore as surety.

Further, Mr. Hegde urged the court to direct Suvarna 24x7 to pay Rs. 25 crore in damages to Palemar for publishing false news about Palemar.

TV news channel cameras had caught Laxman Sawadi and C. C. Patil viewing porn clips on Sawadi’s mobile phone during assembly. In a press meet, Sawadi claimed that he was viewing the stoning of four young men who were accused of raping an Iranian woman.

Initially, Suvarna stated that Palemar had informed Sawadi about this incident; however, the sex clip that Sawadi was viewing had nothing to do with the Iranian episode.

In his complaint, Palemar stated that the television media had unnecessarily drawn him into the controversy when he was in no way related to it. He also accused Suvarna of changing its story later and stating that he was viewing porn on his mobile phone.

Accusing the channel of continuously reporting false news, Palemar said that he had resigned just to save his government from disgrace and that the committee appointed by the speaker of the state legislative assembly had reported that he was completely innocent of the incident

Also accusing the news channel of publishing fake videos of him viewing porn on his mobile, he said that this has wrecked his personal and political life, owing to which the channel ought to pay him Rs. 25 crore in damages.

Palemar has named Vishweshwar Bhat, the chief editor of Suvarna news channel; Hameed Palya, the editor; Ranganath Bharadwaj, the reporter; Prathima Bhat, Vinod Kumar Naik, Veerendra Uppunda, Satyabhoda Joshi, Vinod Kumar Naik, and Suresh Sevaraj, all members of the editorial committee; and Suresh Sevaraj, the managing director of Asianet News Networking Private Limited.

As per court orders, a criminal case has also been registered in Bunder Police Station.