The question (10 marks)
A newspaper publishes a report that a municipal engineer took bribes to clear an unsafe building, naming him. The engineer prosecutes for defamation. Define defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and discuss which Exceptions the newspaper may invoke and what each requires it to prove.
Standing MU defamation problem; built on the Unit 13 chapter and the s. 356 Explanations and Exceptions in Gazette 250883.
Plan your answer on paper before you look at the authorities — issue first, then the rule, then apply it to these facts.
It tests Unit 13 · Documents, Property Marks, Intimidation and Defamation of Law of Crimes (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023).
Authorities you will need
- BNS s. 356(1)
- BNS s. 356 Explanation 4
- BNS s. 356 Exceptions 1, 2 and 9
- BNS s. 2(11)
- BNS s. 356(2)
How an answer is marked
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