Court relief for archbishop Rosy Sequeira, TNN | Oct 9, 2011, 03.36AM IST MUMBAI: In a reprieve for the archbishop of Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Bombay high court has quashed and set aside criminal proceedings initiated by a magistrate on a defamation complaint filed by a lawyer.
On September 21, 2011, Justice K U Chandiwal heard an application filed by Gracias, Fr Anthony Charanghat, the editor of church weekly 'The Examiner', and Mumbai archdiocese spokesperson Fr Savio Fernandes to quash process issued on July 5, 2011 by metropolitan magistrate 18th Girgaum court. A tabloid carried an article pertaining to some church land in Marinagar, Mahim, and quoted advocate Arcanjo Sodder. Finding it objectionable, Fr Fernandes sent a clarification to the tabloid, which did not publish it. The clarification was carried in 'The Examiner'. Sodder moved a magistrate's court saying the first part of the clarification was defamatory. The magistrate directed issue of process saying that prima facie, a defamation case is made out. Church's counsel Joaquim Reis argued that it was a clarification by way of truth and hence, cannot amount to defamation. Justice Chandiwal said the clarification need not be read in isolation. The judge noted that after Sodder wrote to the weekly, it published a clarification expressing regret and he "should have been satisfied". http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/-Court-relief-for-archbishop/articleshow/10284343.cms -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes.