Summary: In a heated legal battle at the Madras High Court, Harish Gupta accused Ashish Gupta of damaging his reputation by spreading false information. The court awarded Harish a compensation of ₹1,00,000, rejecting Ashish's appeal.
Harish Gupta, a respected figure in Chennai's education sector, is the head of PJ Gupta High School in Ambattur. He has been a member of the Venkatapuram Cultural Association since 1992. Harish claims Ashish Gupta spread lies about him, which led to this lawsuit.
Harish said that Ashish spread fake letters to ruin his reputation, especially after Ashish was kicked out of the association for money issues on June 14, 2009. Harish wanted ₹11,00,000 for the stress it caused him.
Ashish, on the other hand, accused Harish of using money improperly and said the lawsuit was filed in the wrong place. He argued that Harish wasn't famous enough to claim damages for damaging his reputation.
The court in Chennai found that Ashish had damaged Harish's reputation and awarded ₹1,00,000 in damages. Ashish appealed, saying the court didn't have the right to hear the case and that Harish hadn't shown his reputation was actually harmed.
On December 19, 2025, Justice P.B. Balaji agreed with the original court's decision:
"Every person is entitled to a reputation of their stature," noted Justice Balaji, emphasizing that damaging someone's reputation isn't limited to famous people.
The court dismissed Ashish's appeal, agreeing with the original decision to award damages to Harish. This case shows how important a person's reputation is and the legal consequences of damaging it, even for people who aren't famous.
