The apex court, however, acknowledged statements made by influential public figures against corporate entities do affect their reputation, share prices and investments. The trial court had, in an order on the defamation suit on June 17, 2021, directed Deve Gowda to pay Rs 2 crore as damages to the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) for his "defamatory statement" against the company in a television interview 10 years ago.
