Bombay High Court quashes defamation cases against doctors over pesticide remarks on Satyamev Jayate

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed a 2015 criminal defamation First Information Report (FIR) against two doctors who spoke on the television show 'Satyamev Jayate' in 2012 about the harmful effects of excessive pesticide use. Justice Milind Jadhav held that their statements were made in public interest and did not amount to defamation.

The complaint was filed by the Crop Care Federation of India Limited (CCFIL), which represents insecticide and pesticide manufacturers. The doctors, Dr Rashmi Sanghi and Dr Gopal Kabra, spoke for 40 seconds and 3-4 minutes respectively, describing how high pesticide residues in food cause deformities in newborns and contaminate breast milk. They did not name any specific product or manufacturer.

The judge noted the doctors were research scholars whose statements were based on contemporaneous studies and their own research papers, including reports of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Voluntary Health Association of India. The court found no malicious or false statement and quashed the cases, saying the discussion aimed to spread awareness about excessive pesticide use.