CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to set aside an order directing Youtuber Joe Michael Praveen to pay compensation of Rs 50 lakh to transgender entrepreneur Apsara Reddy for denigrating her image by posting defamatory videos.
Justice N Sathish Kumar recently dismissed an application filed by the Youtuber to set aside the January 4 ex parte order passed by him directing payment of compensation.
The Youtuber moved the application seeking to set aside the ex parte order stating that he was not aware of the pending suit.
The judge noted that the Youtuber was very much aware of the proceedings as had received notice, engaged a lawyer, and so, he cannot claim that he had no knowledge about the pending suit. Such a person cannot seek indulgence of the court to set aside the ex parte order, the judge said, adding that normally court would be lenient in favour of the parties regarding ex parte decree if the person comes with clean hands.
“When the applicant (Praveen) comes to the court by suppressing the material fact, he is not entitled to such leniency. Accordingly, I do not find any merit and the application to set aside the decree is dismissed,” the judge said in the order.