IRB Infrastructure terms Deccan Chronicle article on ORR lease defamatory, issues legal notice 

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has also sent similar legal notice to Deccan Chronicle newspaper

Hyderabad: IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited on Wednesday issued a legal notice to Deccan Chronicle newspaper terming an article published by it on Outer Ring Road (ORR) lease as defamatory and also approached the Press Council of India on the issue. A similar legal notice was sent to the newspaper by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

The HMDA notice described the story titled “ORR lease: IRB says it can’t pay 10% advance of total bid” was false, baseless and incorrect and has incorrect contents. The statements in the newspaper were likely to tarnish the image of her client’s institution (HMDA) in particular and the State government in general, the notice said.

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The HMDA clarified that as per the tender conditions, there was no stipulation at all for payment of the alleged 10% advance of the total bid amount and ‘the imputations made through news item were intending to harm or knowing or having reasons to believe that such imputations/statements will harm the reputation of the HMDA’.

Seeking a corrigendum and news within three days after verifying the facts mentioned in the notice failing which, the notice said, ‘the authorities will be compelled to initiate appropriate legal proceedings including the defamatory proceedings (civil and criminal) against you’.

Citing the same set of tender conditions, TRD Associates, advocates on behalf of their client – IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited also sent the legal notice to Deccan Chronicle stating that, the news article was “false, baseless”. It mentioned the said article contained several false and baseless statements and was ex-facie defamatory.

The TRD Associates in the legal notice mentioned that, it was only after the execution of the concession agreement that the concessionaire is required to pay the Bid amount i.e. the concession fee within 120 days of the execution of the concession agreement, or any extended date agreed to by authority prior to appointed date. Therefore the entire premise of the said article was blatantly false.

In the letter to the Press Council of India, IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited stated that, the article was ex- facie defamatory and contained several false and baseless averments with a malicious intent to cause damage to its goodwill and reputation.