Madras HC stays defamation cases against Vijayakanth

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras high court on Thursday stayed defamation cases pending against DMDK leader Vijayakanth in five district courts -- Dindigul, Sivaganga, Nagercoil, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli.
Vijayakanth filed a petition in the court seeking to quash the defamation cases filed against him by the state government.
When the case came up for hearing before Justice K Kalyanasundaram on Thursday, the petitioner’s side said that the cases against petitioner had been foisted due to political vendetta.
It is the constitutional obligation of the state’s opposition leader to criticise the government and its schemes. Accordingly, the petitioner did his duty when he was acting as the leader of opposition from 2011 to 2016. The petitioner spoke in his party meetings subjecting to the rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India. He had not made any statement defaming the chief minister, the petition said.
Moreover, the Supreme Court has observed that the district judges should avoid issuing summons to the respondents in the defamation cases filed by government sides. However, the district judges have not applied their minds while taking cognizance of cases. The cases filed against the petitioner did not make out any offence. Thus, it is necessary to exempt the petitioner from appearing before the concerned courts and to stay the further proceedings pending before the courts, the petitioner’s side said.
The public prosecutor said the trial courts should decide on whether the petitioner had committed an offence or not.
After hearing concerned sides, the judge stayed the proceedings pending in five district courts.