No relief to Radhe Maa in defamation case

Gupta had filed a dowry harassment case against her in-laws in September 2014 with Kandivali police station. Her in-laws were followers of Radhe Maa and Gupta had alleged that the spiritual leader had instigated her husband and in-laws to demand dowry from Gupta’s parents, which included a helicopter

MUMBAI: A sessions court refused to give relief to self-styled ‘godwoman’ Radhe Maa, also known as Sukhvindar Kaur, in connection with a defamation case filed against her by a Borivali resident Nikki Gupta in 2014.

Radhe Maa in the interview also claimed that Guptas were financially very poor, and they had nothing to eat in such a situation how can she demand a helicopter from her parents? (Hindustan Times)

Gupta, whose in-laws are Radhe Maa’s followers, had alleged that she made defamatory statements against her family in a TV interview in which she said that Gupta’s family is financially poor. As a result, Gupta’s brother’s engagement was called off.

The court, while refusing to quash the defamation case against the spiritual leader, said, “Radhe Maa’s statement in the TV interview in which she said that Nikki Gupta is a lady who is so poor that she does not have anything to eat even at her house and that she (Radhe Maa) is being targeted because she was a rich lady is a clear imputation against the Gupta’s character. This was broadcasted on a news channel and obviously, it was seen by Gupta and the public at large, which resulted in the engagement of the complainant’s brother being broken off, in my opinion, prima facie it is a case of defamation.”

Gupta had filed a dowry harassment case against her in-laws in September 2014 with Kandivali police station. Her in-laws were followers of Radhe Maa and Gupta had alleged that the spiritual leader had instigated her husband and in-laws to demand dowry from Gupta’s parents, which included a helicopter.

During the legal battle, Radhe Maa had given interviews to a news channel against Gupta on August 8, 2015, and August 10, 2015. In the interview, she claimed that Gupta was a fraud and that the allegations levelled by her about demanding a helicopter from them were baseless. Radhe Maa in the interview also claimed that Guptas were financially very poor, and they had nothing to eat in such a situation how can she demand a helicopter from her parents?

After the said interview Gupta had filed the defamation case against the self-styled ‘godwoman’ before the metropolitan magistrate court at Borivali, claiming that because of Radhe Maa’s comments, her brother’s engagement was called off. She claimed that her father had been running two hotels and had sufficient means to maintain his family.

The magistrate court issued proceedings against Radhe Maa in September 2016. Radhe Maa had challenged the order before the sessions court. The sessions court set aside the order and asked the magistrate court to make an appropriate inquiry into the allegations of the magistrate court. During the inquiry, Gupta played a CD of Radhe Maa’s interview.

Based on the inquiry the magistrate court had held that there is prima facie evidence of defamation against Radhe Maa and issued proceedings against her on January 2, 2018.

Radhe Maa had again approached the sessions court and said that Gupta had been trying to implicate her in false cases. She first implicated her in a domestic violence and dowry harassment case. However, in that case, she has been exonerated, hence the defamation case was filed. Radhe Maa said in the notice Gupta had demanded ₹7 crore from her, which she had refused to pay.

The sessions court last week rejected Radhe Maa’s contentions and dismissed her appeal. The court said that even if Radhe Maa has been exonerated from the charges of domestic violence, that does not show that there is no substance in Gupta’s complaint of defamation. The court observed that the statements made by Radhe Maa are per se defamatory.