New Delhi, Oct 23 (Reporter) A court here has recently summoned Sudarshan News' chairman-cum-managing director (CMD), Suresh Chavhanke, his TV Channel and six others in a defamation case filed by a social activist, who runs an NGO and a madrasa. Activist Mohd Tufail Khan runs an NGO and a madrasa named Jamia Arabia Nizami Welfare Educational Society. Metropolitan Magistrate Kartik Tapariya of the Saket court on October 19 found the alleged acts of the accused persons prima facie defamatory and summoned seven people, including Suresh Chavhanke of the Sudarshan TV, to appear before it on January 31, 2025. The court noted that as per the material placed on record and the pre-summoning evidence a case of defamation is made out against the respondents. The court held that prima facie appears that the tweet published by accused number 1, the act of accused No 2 by calling complainant ‘Bangladeshi’ in front of several people, and the interviews given by accused Nos 1, 3 and 4 are prima facie defamatory. "Further, I have also seen the thumbnails as adverted to by the complainant and watched the alleged defamatory videos. I am satisfied that there is prima facie material against the anchor, that is accused No 5, News Company that is accused No 6, and the director-cum-editor that is accused No 7 to summon them for the offences alleged," the court said. In his complaint, Khan accused Mufti Wajahat Qasmi of posting a false tweet on August 29, 2022, to link Khan's NGO to anti-national activities, illegal funds and brainwashing of vulnerable children. Khan added that such false and derogatory statements were also made by Qasmi on Zee News channel on September nine that year. Khan claims that on September seven, 2022, just two days before the broadcast on Zee TV certain residents from his locality barged into his residence along with the media and defamed him by calling him a 'Bangladeshi'. Khan added that his phone number was also circulated, on account of which he received death threats. He claimed that false and derogatory accusations against him were then telecast by Sudarshan TV in a programme aired on April 12, 2023, in a segment titled “Madrasa ke naam par bachao se bheek manga rahe hai." Further, Khan told the court that Sudarshan News' CMD, Suresh Chavhanke and another Sudarshan News official Maya Chavhanke defamed him by organizing another TV show, which was telecast on their channel with the title “Logo ko dafanane wali jagah par banaya Dargah." Khan had earlier approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions for the removal of defamatory allegations from online platforms. The High Court had issued a notice in the matter on March 17, 2023. During an April 2023 hearing of the matter, the Court was informed that the videos of complaints on YouTube have been removed. Therefore, Khan was allowed to withdraw his plea from the High Court in May 2024, after which he filed the present defamation complaint. The trial court will take up the matter next in January 2025...////...