THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Principal District and Sessions Court here has granted relief to veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan as it stayed the verdict of the lower court ordering Rs 10.10 lakh in damages to Oommen Chandy in a defamation case.
The sub sessions court on January 22 had ordered Achuthanandan to pay the damages for his comment on Chandy that was aired in a television interview in July 2013. Achuthanandan had alleged that then CM Chandy had made pecuniary benefits out of solar deals, which were part of the solar scam in which Saritha S Nair was the main accused.
Achuthanandan further alleged that Chandy had floated a company to swindle money from the solar deals. The lower court had passed the order against the CPM veteran pointing out that he could not produce documents to substantiate his allegations.
While hearing Achuthanandan's appeal, the court also listened to Chandy's argument after which the stay order was issued.