CHENNAI: All further proceedings pending against DMK president M K Stalin, for allegedly defaming Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, were stayed by the Madras High Court on Wednesday. Justice N Anand Venkatesh granted the interim relief on a petition filed by Stalin to quash the defamation proceedings pending before Special Court for Political Cases against MPs and MLAs, in Chennai..
When the matter came up, counsel P Kumaresan submitted that Stalin had made a statement only against an individual and not against Palaniswami in his capacity as CM. Hence, the Salem Public Prosecutor (PP) had no power to file the complaint on behalf of the Chief Minister, he said.
However, State Public Prosecutor A Natarajan submitted that the DMK leader had made the allegation against Palaniswami in his official capacity as CM and hence, the Salem PP was empowered to file the defamation complaint on behalf of CM.
The PP had filed the complaint alleging that Stalin had made derogatory allegations against the Chief Minister at a public meeting on September 18 at Salem. After the formation of the Special Court for Political Cases, the case was transferred to it.Stalin submitted that the special court had failed to note that the allegations made against the Chief Minister did not amount to any defamation.