RSS defamation case against Priyank Kharge

Notes

• A special court in Bengaluru ruled that an individual member of an identifiable group can maintain a criminal defamation complaint even if the organization is not registered.
• The court rejected the argument that lack of formal registration or documentary proof of membership disqualifies an organization from being a 'body of persons' under the law.
• Under Section 2(26) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the definition of 'person' includes any company, association, or body of persons, regardless of incorporation status.
• Judicial precedents from High Courts and the Supreme Court establish that if defamatory imputations are made against an identifiable group, individual members are competent to file defamation complaints.
• The court clarified that whether a complainant belongs to a specific identifiable group is a matter to be proven through evidence during the trial process.

Part of a longer story

This is day 2 of 2 in RSS defamation case against Priyank Kharge, which has been running since 24 June 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

• RSS legal status question Before
• The whole story 2 entries