Madras HC stays defamation proceedings against EPS
The client made the statement based on the news article that alleged that Dayanidhi Maran had not even spent 75 per cent of the MP fund allotted to him, said the counsel.
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court issued an interim stay to the defamation proceedings pending before the trial court preferred by DMK member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran against the leader of opposition Edappadi Palaniswami.
Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan issued the interim order while hearing the petition moved by Palaniswami challenging the defamation suit moved against him.
The judge directed Dayanidhi to file a counter to the plea and adjourned the matter to April 4 for issuing orders.
Senior counsel R John Sathyan, on behalf of Palaniswami, submitted that his client made a statement on February 15, 2024, based on a news article published in a popular English daily.
The client made the statement based on the news article that alleged that Dayanidhi Maran had not even spent 75 per cent of the MP fund allotted to him, said the counsel.
The MP filed a defamation suit against my client for political reasons but did not make the English daily a party, the counsel submitted.
Another senior counsel, J Ravindran, appearing for Dayanidhi, submitted that the English daily published a regret by accepting the news article is false. Despite that, EPS made the defamation statement while the 2024 Parliamentary election was around the corner with malafide intention, said the counsel.
After the submission, the judge directed Dayanidhi to file a counter and issued an interim stay to the defamation proceedings pending before the special court dealing cases against MP/MLAs.
As the next hearing of the defamation proceeding is scheduled for April 9, the HC observed that orders would be pronounced on April 4 in the plea of EPS.
Dayanidhi Maran filed the defamation suit for the alleged speech made by EPS in a public meeting alleging that he being the Central Chennai Parliament member had not even used 75 per cent of the constituency funds allotted to him. It was also stated that EPS alleged that Dayanidhi's only motive is to expand his assets for his own welfare and to expand his assets and the assets of his family members.
The statements of EPS were made without any iota of truth and consequently caused severe loss of reputation and anguish to him, said Dayanidhi Maran.
