Karnataka HC quashes defamation case against Union minister Shobha Karandlaje

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed a criminal defamation case filed by former Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy against MoS (labour & MSME) Shobha Karandlaje.

Justice M Nagaprasanna allowed a criminal petition filed by MoS Shobha Karandlaje against the proceedings at a lower court on account of a complaint filed by former Jayanagar MLA.

The Bengaluru North Lok Sabha member was being tried for charges under sections 499 and 500 of IPC that deal with criminal defamation and the punishment for the same. The high court set aside the criminal defamation proceedings before the 42nd additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) court in Bengaluru against the minister.


Reddy, who heads the women wing of the Congress party’s state unit, had filed a complaint with the magistrate’s court alleging that Karandlaje made defamatory statements against her during the runup to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and at other public forums. She also argued the remarks damaged her reputation and were made with intent to malign her image.

The Judge, while allowing the minister’s petition, observed that the ingredients required to constitute an offence of defamation under Section 499/500 of IPC were not made out prima facie.

The court also noted that political statements made in the course of public debate, without specific allegations of imputations that harm reputation, do not automatically attract criminal liability. It further held that continuation of the proceedings would amount to an abuse of process of law.