SAHIB SINGH MEHRA vs STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellant under Section 500 IPC for publishing defamatory statements about the Public Prosecutors and Assistant Public Prosecutors in Aligarh. The Court clarified that the sanction granted under Section 198B(c) of the Code of Criminal Procedure was valid as it specifically pertained to the defamation of identifiable individuals within the prosecuting staff. The Court also established that defamation can occur against a 'collection of persons' as long as the group is identifiable, thus affirming the applicability of Section 499 IPC in this context.