Fri Apr 18 01:46:19 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Upholds Homebuyers’ Right to Peaceful Protest Against Builders
**New Delhi, April 18, 2025** – The Supreme Court of India ruled today that homebuyers have the right to peacefully protest against builders regarding grievances, and that such protests do not constitute defamation. The landmark decision quashed a defamation case against several homebuyers who had erected banners expressing dissatisfaction with a developer’s services.
The court emphasized that the homebuyers’ protest was peaceful and orderly, employing no offensive or abusive language. Justices K.V. Viswanathan and N. Kotiswar Singh stated that a right to peaceful protest is a fundamental consumer right, comparable to a builder’s right to commercial speech. The justices noted the absence of accusations like “fraud, cheating, or misappropriation” in the banners, highlighting the temperate language used.
The court found that the homebuyers’ actions fell under the exception to defamation laws, protecting their right to express their grievances. The judges further stated that the peaceful nature of the protest, the careful choice of words, and the lack of abusive language indicated the banners were intended to protect the homeowners’ legitimate interests. The court deemed that allowing the criminal proceedings to continue would be an abuse of process, effectively shielding the peaceful protest under Articles 19(1)(a), (b), and (c) of the Indian Constitution.
The original defamation case, filed by a builder in 2016, stemmed from the homebuyers’ banners. While a lower court in Mumbai had issued summons against the homebuyers, the Supreme Court overturned this decision, securing a victory for consumer rights and the right to peaceful protest in India.
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