CHENNAI: On behalf of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, City Public Prosecutor M Shajahan filed yet another defamation case, this time against AIADMK ex-ministers O Panneerselvam, KA Sengottaiyan, D Jayakumar and Advocates Wing secretary PH Manoj Pandian.
According to the plaint, seeking to punish the four for an offence under section 500 of the IPC, The New Indian Express published a news item on April 25 last under the caption ‘AIADMK sees plot to destroy key files’.
The press note was signed by party treasurer Panneerselvam, headquarters secretary Sengottaiyan, north Chennai district secretary Jayakumar and Manoj Pandian.
They had also sent a letter to the EC alleging that the ‘present caretaker government’ was attempting to carry out the destruction of the existing important files in the Secretariat.
This was also carried by Express and vernacular papers on April 25. The allegations were false and baseless and were made only with an intention to defaming and maligning the high reputation of the CM.
The use of the words ‘caretaker government’ itself amounted to making derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister, complainant contended.