Rongon Mukhopadhyay,J. - (1.) Heard Mr. Deepak Bharti, learned counsel for the petitioners. No one appears either on behalf of State or on behalf of O.P. No. 2.
(2.) In this application, the petitioners have prayed for quashing the entire criminal proceedings in connection with Complaint Case No. 314 of 1997, (T.R. No. 360 of 2001) including the order dated 10.03.1999, passed by learned Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Hazaribagh, whereby and where under cognizance has been taken under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
(3.) A complaint was instituted by the opposite party no. 2, in which it was stated that the accused no. 1 in collusion with the other accused persons got a news item printed and published in the daily newspaper "Prabhat Khabar" on 20.07.1997, which news item was deliberately published in order to defame the complainant and to lower down his prestige and reputation in the eyes of people of Hazaribagh district. It has been alleged that the father of the complainant had purchased land through auction and had perhaps sold more than he had purchased. It has further been alleged therein that with respect to the alleged land of Cemetery, several defamatory allegations were made in the newspaper resulting in filing of the complaint case by the opposite party no. 2.;