Hearing of suit seeking Rs 1 crore as damages from DMK chief Stalin advanced to Aug 13

Therefore, he wanted the court to grant an interim injunction against the defendants restraining them from making any such allegation. Recording the development, Justice Asha said "In view of the subsequent events after filing of this suit this court treats the additional application as a memo for advance hearing.

The Madras high court on Tuesday advanced to August 13 the hearing of a suit moved by Tamil Nadu assembly deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman seeking Rs 1 crore as damages from DMK president MK Stalin following an additional application filed by the petitioner. The petitioner alleged that Stalins statements reportedly linking him with the 'Pollachi sexual assault case' has damaged his reputation.

Besides Stalin, the suit for damages was moved against private Tamil news television channel Kalaignar TV, Tamil magazines Nakkheeran, and Junior Vikatan for allegedly publishing new reports linking Jayaraman with the case. When the plea came up, Justice P T Asha cited an additional application moved by Jayaraman seeking interim injunction against Nakkheeran.

In the application, counsel for Jayaraman submitted that though the suit filed was taken up for hearing on July 20 and the defendants were ordered to file their counter, Nakkheeran uploaded one more video on July 24 levelling similar allegations against the deputy speaker. Therefore, he wanted the court to grant an interim injunction against the defendants restraining them from making any such allegation.

Recording the development, Justice Asha said "In view of the subsequent events after filing of this suit this court treats the additional application as a memo for advance hearing. Therefore, the hearing originally scheduled on August 18 is advanced to August 13 for arguments on additional application." Besides the damages, Jayaraman also wanted the court to permanently restrain Stalin and the respondent media from making/publishing "false and defamatory statements" against him in any manner.

The issue pertains to a sexual harassment complaint filed by a 19-year-old girl from Pollachi in February 2019 against four people. A subsequent probe by police brought to light several series of such sexual offences committed by the group in the locality.PTI COR BN WELCOME BN WELCOME.