Tamil Nadu Govt Files Criminal Defamation Case Against BJP State President K Annamalai For Statements Against CM MK Stalin

Tamil Nadu government has moved the Principle District and Sessions Court Chennai seeking action against the State President of Bharatiya Janata Party K Annamalai for making defamatory statements against the Chief Minister MK Stalin. The complaint has been moved through City Public Prosecutor. 

On May 14th, Annamalai had released 'DMK Files', claiming that many members of the ruling DMK party were involved in corruption including the CM. He had claimed that the CM had received money to the tune of Rs 200 crore from an Indo-European shell company for awarding tenders. 

The criminal defamation petition says that the speech made by Annamalai was intending to harm the reputation of the CM in respect of his conduct in the discharge of his public function. It is also submitted that the defamatory speech was made without any basis or evidence during a press conference and was widely carried by the media. The petition says that the speech is in the nature of causing considerable harm to the high repute enjoyed by the Chief Minister.

Pointing out the various welfare schemes enacted by the CM, the public prosecutor submitted that the CM has been taking all earnest efforts to ensure social justice and state autonomy. He thus submitted that the statements were against good faith and without any public good. 

The prosecutor further submitted that the offense of defamation against the CM was an offense committed against the State as it related to the public functions by the Chief Minister. Thus, he pointed out that the provision under Section 199 of the CrPC would come into play and the State was rightly interested in pursuing the application. 

He also submitted that the Government of Tamil Nadu has accorded sanction to the Public Prosecutor under Section 199(4) of the CrPC through a Government Order dated May 6th 2023 for filing the complaint before the competent court.