Smita Sabharwal, IAS and Additional Secretary to the Telangana CM KCR who had a controversy with a magazine, decided to file the suit and Telangana government came forward to support Smita.

‘Outlook’, a weekly magazine created a semi nude cartoon on Smitha, in the past, commenting about her glamour and beauty. Though they did not mention her name, addressed her as an eye candy who appears in fashionable saris in all the Telangana Chief Minister KCR meetings. The issue went viral in Telangana and invited many protests in the state.

The Hyderabad Central Crime Station sleuths also grilled the magazine representatives including its Hyderabad assistant editor Madhavi Tata, who wrote the piece. In her notice sent to Outlook over the piece - that was headlined 'No Boring Babu' - Sabharwal had called it "distasteful, cheap and titillating."

In spite of several apologies by the magazine management, Smita Sabharwal seems not compromised and decided to file defamation suit. Regarding this, Smita has to deposit Rs. 9.75 lakh towards court fee and another Rs.5 lakhs for other additional legal expenses, for applying the defamation suit that is worth of Rs.10 crores.
 
Media is something which acts as a bridge between the officials and the public. Apart from just reporting the news, it might not be wrong to present the news in attractive form, so that more audience connects them. But trying to give an entertainment to the public, just at the cost of making fun of the personal life and their personal attires of the public representatives, will be welcomed neither by the public, nor by the leaders.

By Phanindra