Manu Smriti reference: Madras HC quashes case against Thirumavalavan

CHENNAI: VCK leader and MP Thol Thirumavalavan has not degraded the reputation of the Indian women, especially the Hindu women and he had uttered what was in Manu Smriti about women, opined the Madras High Court and quashed the criminal complaint against the Dalit leader.

It is neither a personal invention nor it is a created speech of Thirumavalavan, a Member of Parliament and there is no intention for him to commit any hate speech against women and it is not affecting anyone, wrote Justice P Velmurugan while quashing the criminal case.

The judge also wrote that it is conspicuously clear that Thirumavalavan had referred to Manu Smriti, hence this court finds that the allegations made against him do not attract any offence.

On September 27, 2020, Thirumavalavan participated in a conference and delivered a speech on the topic of "Periyar and Indian Politics, and he also referred how women was portrayed in Manu Smriti, considered as code of law by many Hindus.

The complainant V Vedha alias Dhamodharan alleged that Thirumavalavan's speech was aired on a YouTube channel 'Periyar' and the speech affected him as the VCK leader degraded the reputation of Indian women especially Hindu women.

The judicial magistrate of Peraiyur, Madurai took cognizance of the complaint and summoned Thirumavalavan.

While the case was pending before the judicial magistrate Thirumavalavan moved the HC seeking to quash the case.

The complainant alleged that through his speech Thirumavalavan lowered the image of Hindu women humiliated their feelings and being a member of Hindu family, his mind was throbbing with shame, he said.

Countering the contention, Thirumavalavan submitted that he has no intention to degrade the reputation of any women, especially Hindu women, not a word uttered out of Manu Smriti, he said.