New Delhi:The Supreme Court has directed the former chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Firoz Bakht Ahmed, to tender an unconditional apology to a fellow professor in connection with the "sexual predator" remark.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and P K Mishra said Ahmed should have thought about the consequences of the remark before making such wild allegations against Prof Ehtesham Ahmad Khan, who was HoD of the Media Centre of Journalism.
The bench, in an order passed on October 14, said in any case, since now the appellant has realised his mistake and is willing to tender an unconditional apology, "we find that it will be in the interest of both the parties to put an end to the criminal proceedings as well as other proceedings pending between them".
“The appellant shall give unconditional apology to respondent No.2 (Khan). The appellant shall publish the said unconditional apology by giving an advertisement in bold letters in Daily Eenadu on the first page of the newspaper, within a period of four weeks from today. The appellant shall also pay an amount of Rs.1,00,000/- as a token amount for the mental agony caused to the Respondent No.2 herein on account of wild allegations made against him. The said amount be paid by way of a Demand Draft in favour of Respondent No.2 herein, within a period of four weeks from today," said the bench.