UK businessman wins defamation case against Republic Bharat for calling him ISI 'stooge'

Two years after Republic Bharat called British-Pakistani businessman Aneel Mussarat an ISI "stooge" during a broadcast, Mussarat won a defamation case against the channel at the London High Court.

According to Geo TV, Mussarat had filed a defamation case against Republic's UK broadcaster, Worldview Media Network. Republic allegedly did not participate in the proceedings. The judge noted the programme had "no evidence whatsoever to support its assertions that Aneel Mussarat was engaged in anti-India activities including assisting in terrorism against India", the report said.

Mussarat told the court that the show, which also aired in the UK, displayed pictures of him alongside captions like "Should Bollywood declare any links to pro-Pakistan, pro-terror, anti-India individuals and groups?" and "Should Bollywood renounce any links with Pakistanis who take a pro-terrorist line?".

Mussarat said the broadcast caused "serious harm" to his reputation. The court awarded him legal costs of £37,500 and damages of £10,000. The judge said there was no "realistic prospect of the defendant providing an apology".

Mussarat told Geo TV he was "glad" he had been "vindicated".

He said, "I have never worked for any spy agency. I have never been involved in any kind of terror or illegal act. In July 2020, at the beginning of Covid, Republic TV channel and Arnab Goswami broadcasted multiple TV programmes defaming my character, alleging me of being an ISI agent and spreading terrorism in India. I applied to the royal court of justice for vindication. I am glad I have been vindicated and I am thankful to the British justice system."