One of Indian democracy’s treasured possessions is the freedom of speech, and it is considered to be an absolute sacrosanct. This is the reason why the constitutionality of laws in relation to criminal defamation has been questioned several times at the touchstone of freedom of speech. However, like other rights, even this right is not absolute and is subject to certain reasonable restrictions as enumerated under Article 19(6) of the Constitution. This right can’t be put on a pedestal that would completely disregard the reputation of another and while protecting a person’s right, the rights of others can’t be jeopardized. If freedom of speech and expression is protected by Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution, the right to reputation is also considered to be an inextricable part of the right to life protected by Article 21 and balancing these two rights is a constitutional necessity. The laws of defamation aim to create this balance by punishing those who, in the garb of free speech, have hurt the reputation of another but, at the same time protecting those who are communicating the truth or saying something in good faith. It is imperative to understand that the reputation of a person is earned over the years, and it cannot be tarnished by any other individual in a casual manner. The laws of criminal defamation have been codified under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code 1860 and to fall within the confines of this Section, a person must have made an imputation about another person with either an intention, knowledge, or reason to believe that such an imputation will harm the reputation of the person against whom such an imputation is made. This imputation could be either by words, signs or visible representations and they could either be made or published. The difference between making of an imputation and publication of an imputation is that, while in the former, the communication of the imputation is only to the person concerned, whereas in the latter, the communication of the imputation is to a third party. The laws of criminal defamation are subject to ten exceptions, the first one being truth which the public good requires to be made or published.