Dutee Chand’s defamation case: Court orders portal & editor to restrain from circulating defamatory news

Bhubaneswar: The Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) here on Friday ordered the web channel and its editor to restrain from further circulating any defamatory news against Odisha’s ace athlete Dutee Chand till the next hearing.

The court’s order came while it was conducting a hearing on the defamation case filed by Dutee Chand.

RTI activist Pradeep Pradhan also has been asked to stay away from making such defamatory statements against the sprinter till the next hearing.

The Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) also has directed the duo to be present during the next hearing of the case.

Earlier in the day, the Commisisonerate Police had picked up and detained the web channel editor Sudhanshu Rout from his office at Jharpara area in Bhubaneswar for interrogation.

He was detained for questioning a day after Olympian Dutee Chand filed a defamation case at Mahila police station in Bhubaneswar against Rout and Pradeep Pradhan.

In her complaint, Dutee Chand alleged Rout and Pradhan of publishing defamatory and obscene contents against her. She had demanded a compensation of Rs 5 Crore from the journalist.

Police have booked both Rout and Pradhan under sections 292 (2)- circulation of obscene materials—, 354-A (sexual harassment), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of woman), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 6 of indecent representation of women (prohibition) act, 1986.