India, March 28 -- New Delhi

Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of a democratic society, and journalists should have the latitude to exercise their professional judgment without fear of being sued for defamation, the Delhi high court held in a ruling aimed at protecting the right of the press to disseminate information freely and fearlessly.

Dealing with a defamation suit filed by a startup seeking removal of an allegedly defamatory article published by a media firm, a bench of justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav in his verdict released on Thursday said that a publication cannot be rendered defamatory as long as its gist is based on accurate truth and facts.

"Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of a democratic society, and it necess...