A Bengaluru court has summoned the officials of digital outfits Karma News, Indus Scrolls and Hindu Post, and also Malayala Manorama reporter Binnu Vijayan Vijaykumari over a plea accusing them of running a “malicious campaign” against The News Minute and its chief editor Dhanya Rajendran. 

The petition filed by Rajendran and Spunklane Media, which operates The News Minute, has accused the digital outfits of publishing “defamatory content” against them in connection with a media fest Cutting South. They’ve sought an “unconditional public apology” and Rs 1 lakh as compensation.

The additional city civil and session court summoned the digital outfits for a hearing on November 11. 

Cutting South was organised by the Kerala Media Academy, with sessions co-ordinated by The News Minute, Newslaundry and Confluence Media in March. Karma News and others had called Cutting South a “separatist movement”, accusing the organisers of being funded by “anti-India groups” in the US and Canada.

One of the defendants, Binu Vijayan, a reporter with Malayala Manorama, filed a police complaint against Rajendran alleging that she had links with “jihadis”. Though the complaint was closed after an initial inquiry and no FIR was registered, the digital outfits falsely reported that Rajendran was questioned by the NIA and the IB about the event.

Newslaundry and Confluence Media had also filed a defamation suit against Karma News, seeking Rs 2 crore damages. Karma News subsequently told the Delhi High Court it would not repeat these allegations. Read about it here.