Madras HC refuses to quash defamation case against Union Min L Murugan

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to quash a defamation case against Union minister L Murugan filed by the Murasoli trust and directed the special court to complete the trial within 3 months.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh dismissed the petition filed by L Murugan to quash the defamation case against him for an alleged defamatory remarks against the land title of Murasoli trust.

After hearing all sides of arguments the judge refused to quash the defamation case and dismissed the petition.

The proceedings were initiated against L Murugan for the alleged defamatory remarks made by him, when he was the president of Tamil Nadu BJP in 2019, with respect to the title of the land on which the Murasoli trust office was situated in Kodambakkam, Chennai.

Murugan claimed that over 12 grounds of Panchami land were abducted and the Murasoli trust was constructed on that land. Aggrieved by this statement, the DMK's organising secretary and former Rajya Sabha member R S Bharathi filed a defamation case against L Murugan. Challenging this, L Murugan moved the MHC to quash the defamation case against him.

The judge also directed the special court to deal with the MP/MLA cases to complete the trial within three months.