Legal notice served to IOA president Narendra Batra on defamation charges

A legal notice has been served to IOA president Narinder Batra for his alleged defamatory statement against Karate Association vice president Bharat Sharma.

In a message to Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federation, Bharat Sharma said:
"An appropriate legal proceeding has been initiated by myself through the issuance of legal notice dated 29.06.2020 by my advocate and solicitor against Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, President of IOA for issuing a false and defamatory statement against me. Copy of the legal notice is also uploaded/circulated."

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In the legal notice dated June 29, 2020 (today), Sharma's advocate and solicitor BK Wadhwa stated: 

"... You addressee have purposefully made the scandalous imputations against my client with the culpable malicious intention to defame my client's reputation in the eyes of the General Public and Karate Fraternity and thereby have spread untrue, false and scandalous imputation against my client referring him to CHOR (THIEF) with his name. Being the person as you addressee who heads the IOA must be truthful, honest, correct and highly responsible for making any statement against any person, however, you addressee with a view to wreak vengeance for standing against your oppressive and dictator style of arbitrary functioning made scandalous, false and defamatory statements against my client in telephonic conversation and later on, that conversation got uploaded on social media with its transcripts besides getting coverage in newspapers/news channels which shows your addressee's explicit intention to harm the reputation of my client and to malign him before the public by intentionally giving your false and untrue statements. It is evident that the impugned conversation and the contents thereof are solely intended to tarnish and annihilate the reputation of my client."

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In his final remarks in the notice, advocate Wadhwa stated: 

"In view of the above-stated facts and circumstances, you addressee have clearly committed the offence of defamation for which you are liable to be tried before a competent court of law. Moreover, by intentionally harming and destroying the reputation of my client, yourself is liable to make good and compensate the damages to his reputation that he has already suffered and still continue to suffer. Hence, you are hereby called upon to tender an unconditional and written apology within 48 hours of the receipt of this notice for making such scandalous imputations against my client. If you addressee oblige with the demands of this legal notice and tender an unconditional apology to my client, you addressee may avoid the consequences of a litigation which may be commenced in both civil and criminal courts of competent jurisdiction and in such an event, the entire legal proceedings shall be entirely at your risk and costs."

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