CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin has filed a defamation suit against Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai for causing immutable injury to his reputation through a statement on alleged corruption at a recent presser in Chennai.
City public prosecutor (CPP) G Devarajan filed the suit before the principal sessions and district court of Chennai on Wednesday on behalf of the CM. Citing the statements and video clippings called ‘DMK Files’ released by Annamalai on April 14, 2023, the suit said they impeached upon the reputation of the CM.
The CPP urged the court to take cognizance of the complaint and punish Annamalai for offences under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC. “The statements and video clippings of the accused contain both elements of mens rea and actus reus,” the city public prosecutor had said.
The suit said the ‘defamatory statement’ of Annamalai has ‘reasonable connection’ with the discharge of public duties by the CM, and the statements are not only ‘defamatory in nature’ but also have ‘direct nexus between the discharge of public duties and the office of the CM.’ This is the first defamation suit filed by the chief minister after the DMK came to power in 2021.
Blaming Annamalai of making the allegations with an intention of ‘malice’ to defame the CM for ‘personal political gain’, the CPP said the rationale for the special procedure engrafted by Section 199 (2) of CrPC is that the offence of defamation committed against the CM “is really an offence committed against the State as the same relates to discharge of public functions.”
‘Annamalai’s accusations are against public good’
The suit also termed the allegations of corruption made by Annamalai of not just being devoid of truth and good faith but also intentionally made against the interest of public good, though the CM is not averse to fair criticism. Levelling various allegations of corruption and amassing wealth against the CM and some of his cabinet colleagues, Annamalai had claimed that a private company paid kickback of Rs 200 crore to Stalin through shell companies in 2011 ahead of the Assembly polls.
Annamalai had said CM took Rs 200-crore bribe
Annamalai had claimed that a private company paid kickback of Rs 200 crore to Stalin through shell companies in 2011 ahead of polls. “CM is not averse to fair criticism but the allegations are devoid of truth,” the suit said