Bombay High Court Quashes Notice to HDFC MD Sashidhar Jagdishan in Defamation Case

The Bombay High Court quashed a magistrate’s notice issued to HDFC Bank MD and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan in a criminal defamation case filed by Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust.

Justice SM Modak held that the notice, issued on June 16, was premature as the magistrate failed to record the complainant’s sworn verification before proceeding, a mandatory step under the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The Court rejected the Trust’s argument that the proviso to Section 223 BNSS allowed early notice, ruling both must be read together. The magistrate may restart proceedings after due verification.

[Sashidhar Jagdishan v State of Maharashtra]