CHENNAI: A defamation case filed against Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration and senior DMK leader KN Nehru has been quashed by the Madras High Court recently. Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan passed the orders to quash the case pending before the principal district and sessions judge, Coimbatore, finding no substance to prove Nehru’s public statement amounted to defamation.
The case was registered against Nehru in 2020 for making alleged defamatory statements against the then municipal administration minister and AIADMK leader SP Velumani while addressing a meeting in Coimbatore.
Nehru’s counsel contended that the complaint is nothing but clear abuse of process of law and it is liable to be quashed on the ground of non-fulfilment of the conditions set in section 199 (3) of CrPC and the comments were not in respect of Velumani’s conduct in the discharge of his public function but spoken about matters of public interest. The judge emphasised the need to tolerate unpopular views in the socio-cultural space.
‘No harm to reputation’
There is no averment how the statement made by the petitioner is harming the reputation of the minister, the judge noted while quashing the entire proceedings on the file of principal district and sessions judge, Coimbatore