R. Rajagopal v. State of Tamil Nadu
Supreme Court of India(1994) 6 SCC 632Bench: Supreme Court of India
Related sections: Articles 19(1)(a), 21
The Court recognised a right to privacy against unauthorised publication of private facts, while protecting publication based on public records and matters of public interest. The holding reflects the result and the principal reasons accepted by the court, while recognising that separate opinions may have used different reasoning. In recording this field for R. Rajagopal v. State of Tamil Nadu, the emphasis is on the operative legal controversy, the constitutional or statutory setting, and the precise institutional consequence of the decision rather than on later popular summaries. The description should be read with the reported judgment, because landmark decisions often contain several concurring or dissenting opinions, different reasons, and later qualifications. For database use, this note separates held from broader commentary: it identifies the controlling principle, the procedural posture, and the relief actually granted or refused without adding unverified facts. In recording this field for R. Rajagopal v. State of Tamil Nadu, the emphasis is on the operative legal controversy, the constitutional or statutory setting, and the precise institutional consequence of the decision rather than on later popular summaries. The description should be read with the reported judgment, because landmark decisions often contain several concurring or dissenting opinions, different reasons, and later qualifications. For database use, this note separates held from broader commentary: it identifies the controlling principle, the procedural posture, and the relief actually granted or refused without adding unverified facts.