THRISSUR: Thrissur Chief Judicial Magistrate P S Antony on Friday granted bail to actor Mohanlal in a defamation case filed by critic Sukumar Azhikode.
The court also accepted Mohanlal’s plea to exempt him from appearing before it in person for the remaining trials and granted him bail on surety of two persons - Mohanlal’s driver and film producer Antony Perumbavoor and production manager Alex - and a bond of Rs 20,000.
Mohanlal was initially asked to appear before the court on June 22 for the trial. However, his lawyer V Ramkumar requested the court to prepone the trial as the actor had some unavoidable commitments on the said date to which the court agreed. During the trial, Mohanlal denied the allegation that he had tarnished the image of Azhikode.
Meanwhile, the police had a tough time controlling Mohanlal’s fans who thronged the court premises in large numbers. Azhikode filed the defamation case against Mohanlal on February 24, 2010, stating that the actor’s remark that Azhikode has got ‘hallucinations’ tarnished the writer’s image. Azhikode also said that it had affected his fame since Mohanlal was an artiste who had much influence upon the people. Azhikode also sought Rs 10 lakh as compensation. Azhikode had sent a legal notice to Mohanlal on the issue last year seeking his apology. However, in his reply, the actor stood by his comment.
Chief Judicial Magistrate P S Antony had then suggested that the dispute be settled outside the court with the help of the cultural world. However, Azhikode responded saying he considered the court the greatest cultural centre.