After conducting an undercover operation, a court of inquiry found that Major General MS Ahluwalia’s actions were deemed “unbecoming of an army officer.”
Recently, the Delhi High Court ordered journalists Tarun Tejpal, Aniruddha Bahal, and Mathew Samuel, along with the news platform Tehelka, to pay ₹2 crore in damages to former Army officer Major General MS Ahluwalia for defamation.
The defamation case stems from Tehelka’s Operation West End sting operation in 2001, which alleged that Ahluwalia was involved in accepting bribes in defense transactions. The sting operation was aired on Tehelka.com and the Zee TV Network.
A court of inquiry was conducted following the operation, and while it recommended Ahluwalia’s dismissal from service, the then-Army Chief only recorded “severe displeasure” and found him “unbecoming of an army officer.”
In the recent detailed order, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna stated that Tehelka and its journalists defamed Ahluwalia by implying that he demanded money, although evidence proved otherwise.
The court emphasized that the contrition of the defendants at this stage is irrelevant as Ahluwalia has already undergone the Court of Inquiry and was deemed “unfit for an army officer.” The court asserted that the plaintiff’s reputation had suffered, with significant allegations of corruption tarnishing his character and standing in the public eye for over 23 years.
Ahluwalia contended that the allegations made in the video were false, malicious, and purposefully made without proper investigation. He claimed that the video had been altered and doctored, with certain portions removed and unsubstantiated editorial comments added.
While the news was widely covered by various media outlets, during the Army’s Court of Inquiry, Samuel, the author of the news article in Tehelka, gave an exculpatory statement, stating that Ahluwalia had never demanded money and had even refused to attend a dinner or receive hospitality.
The court found that the defendants’ statements were false and defamatory, causing grave harm to the reputation of a respected Army Officer who had rejected any bribe.
The court ruled Tehelka and its journalists guilty of defamation and ordered them to pay ₹2 crore in damages to Ahluwalia. However, the defamation claim against Zee and Subhash Chandra was not proven, and the suit against them was dismissed.
