The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Stalin files defamation complaint against Dinamalar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Stalin files defamation complaint against Dinamalar

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 31. The DMK deputy general secretary, M.K. Stalin, today moved a city court seeking action against Dinamalar, a Tamil daily, for allegedly carrying a defamatory article against him.

The chief metropolitan magistrate, in whose court the criminal complaint was filed, posted the matter to September 3.

R. Krishnamurthy, Editor and Printer, and R. Lakshmipathy, Publisher, have been cited as the accused.

Mr. Stalin this morning came to the court and presented the complaint, made under Section 200 Cr.P.C (examination of complainant) for an offence punishable under Section 500 IPC (punishment for defamation). He submitted that the newspaper carried an article in its Chennai edition on August 15 under the headline "Idhu Ungal Idam" and under the sub-heading "Etthanai Kaalam Thaan Aemaattruvaar" as if it was written by one Kavithai Kannan of Sivaganga district. The article said Rainbow Printers belonging to Mr. Stalin had obtained a loan from Indian Bank and did not repay it.

The complainant submitted there was absolutely no truth in the article and it was published with the sole intention of causing imputation to his reputation. A notice was issued calling upon the paper to tender an unconditional apology and to publish regret in one issue.

The notice stated Mr. Stalin was not the owner of the printing unit, nor had he taken any loan from any financial institution. It was owned by some of his family members who had taken a very small amount as loan from a financial institution and it was fully repaid with interest long ago. On August 16, the paper published a letter as if it was written by the complainant containing certain figures and facts. In fact, the complainant did not write any letter, except the notice, which did not contain any figure or the name of the financial institution. It was evident that ``the accused were bent upon making false publications with a view to harming the reputation of the complainant.''

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