Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 22: The additional city civil and sessions court here has passed an order directing former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, to pay a sum of two crore rupees to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd (NICE) by way of fine for causing loss of reputation to NICE by his statements.

Deve Gowda had made the impugned statements during his interview to a vernacular television channel during 2011. Judge of the court, Mallanagowda, passed an order directing Deve Gowda to pay the said fine for causing loss of reputation.

Deve Gowda, in his interview to a private news channel on June 28, 2011, had termed NICE as an institution that robs people of their money and branded the project as a loot project. NICE had approached the court citing loss of its standing and reputation on account of Gowda's statements. It had demanded ten crore rupees by way of compensation, by a suit it filed in 2012. Deve Gowda did not prove his statements to be true. Therefore, the judge ordered him to pay two crore rupees.