Lawyer sentenced to one month jail and fine in defamation case of IPS officer

Mumbai: City lawyer Naveen Chomal was found guilty by the Magistrate Court in the defamation case of IPS officer K. Prasanna. Prasanna was accused of having links with drug gangs. This came to light after Chomal's statement. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Hemant Joshi sentenced Chomal to one month's imprisonment and a fine of five thousand rupees. However, the sentence was suspended pending appeal in the High Court.

This case dates back to March 2015. In which the police arrested Dharmaraj Markkhe from Satara with 12 kg of drugs. After being produced in court, Chomal claimed that Markkhe had shown Mprasanna's involvement in the drug records. Prasanna's reputation was damaged when the allegations were published.

On further investigation, the Maharashtra Director General of Police clarified that the Satara police did not investigate the involvement of the Markakhe officer. Hence, Prasanna filed a defamation complaint against Chomal. The court considered all the evidence while giving its verdict.