India, Dec. 5 -- A journalist cannot be held liable for defamation when the information published is factually accurate, irrespective of the style or tone used by the journalist, said the Delhi High Court in a ruling released last week.

A bench of justice Neena emphasised that the tone which a journalist uses to present facts falls within the domain of writing skill.

"The manner in which a journalist or an article writer presents the facts is a skill of writing, but when the reported matter is factually correct, then it cannot be termed as an act of defamation by the complainant," the court said.

The court delivered the verdict on November 17, while dealing with a petition filed by journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick (former bureau chief of ...