CYBER DEFAMATION: CHANGING DIMENTIONS AND AN INSIGHT INTO INDIAN LAWS

ABSTRACT The Internet is an economic and fast means of world widecommunication of text, sound and images. In other words, an information resource without political or content boundaries; limited only by the extent to which the information providers are willing to disclose their materials and the fruits of their own writing and research.It has also brought revolution intrade and commerce, Social networking, entertainment, shopping, job hunt, recruitment, anything and everything is possible via the medium of internet these days.The widespread and increasing use of internet has also given a new face to the crime and a new medium to the bad elements to commit crime. There is no dearth of defamatory material coming as regular social media updates. The internet has made it far easier than ever before to disseminate defamatory statements to a worldwide audience with impunity. This report tries to trace back the evolution of Internet and increasing rate of cybercrimes. This research also tries to study various legal provisions that are being implemented on cyber defamation in tort law as well as in other statutes in India. This study also analyzes some of the most landmark judgments on this issue in India and how judicial interpretation and initiative of judiciary has helped in giving justice. Further this paper tries to point out the lacunas in the present legal system and also gives various recommendations and suggestions to improve and to ensure the soundness of the legal system present for this important issue.