Kerala HC Exempts Personal Appearance Of BJP's K Surendran Before Magistrate In Defamation Case For Allegedly Calling The Complainant A Thief
The Kerala High Court in an interim order on Friday (December 20) granted exemption from personal appearance to BJP Kerala State President K. Surendran in a defamation case filed by T. G. N. Kumar (T. G. Nandakumar) before the Ernakulam Magistrate Court claiming that the BJP leader called him (Kumar) a thief.
The complaint filed by T. G. Nandakumar alleges that BJP National Secretary Anil Antony–who is Congress veteran A. K. Antony's son–defamed him by calling him 'thief' and 'idol thief' in front of media. The complainant said that, Antony gave a statement to the media that there were more than 100 CBI cases against the complainant. He further alleges in his complaint that K. Surendran also imputed through his statements that the complainant was a thief and idol thief. Anil Antony and K. Surendran were arraigned as the 1st and 2nd accused respectively in the case.
During the hearing today, Justice V. G. Arun noted that the High Court had on Thursday (December 19) passed an interim order exempting Anil Antony's personal appearance in this case. In view of that order, Justice Arun passed an order giving the same interim protection of K. Surendran.
Nandakumar mentions in his complaint that the whole thing happened after he disclosed to the media that Anil Antony had accepted a bribe of Rs. 25 Lakhs from him and promised to appoint one of his friends as a Standing Counsel for CBI in Kerala High Court.
The case is next posted on January 16, 2025.
Case Title: K. Surendran v State of Kerala and Another
Case No: Crl.MC 10925/ 2024