Overview
- The case began with a 1996 Sun TV broadcast of a Veerappan interview in which the fugitive made allegations linking actor R. Sukanya to a political scandal.
- A Chennai city civil court awarded Sukanya roughly ₹10.01 lakh in damages in April 2015 after finding the telecast harmed her reputation and ordered an injunction.
- The Madras High Court dismissed Sun TV’s appeal and upheld the 2015 decree, holding the channel liable because its telecast agreement gave it broad rights to edit the footage.
- Justice K. Kumaresh Babu said Sun TV failed to verify or seek Sukanya’s side before airing the allegations and that publishing a regret in a third‑party magazine instead of on its channel showed malice.
- Legal observers say the ruling strengthens precedent that broadcasters and platforms with editorial control must check and, when needed, correct defamatory material, a point that could shape both TV and digital media practice.