The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Jail term for Nagam in defamation case

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Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Jail term for Nagam in defamation case

Correspondent

Nagam Janardhan Reddy

MAHABUBNAGAR: Former Minister and Telugu Desam Legislature Party (TDLP) deputy leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy was sentenced to undergo six months’ imprisonment and pay a penalty of Rs. 5,000 in a defamation case filed by the Rural Development Minister G. Chinna Reddy.

Judicial First Class Magistrate, Mahabubnagar, Krishnamoorthy, allowed the suspension of the sentence submitted by counsel for Dr. Janardhan Reddy, suspended the order for a month and also allowed appeal to the upper court within 15 days.

Derogatory remarks

Janardhan Reddy, who was the Panchayat Raj Minister in the TDP government, had passed derogatory remarks against Dr. Chinna Reddy, then Wanaparthy MLA, on his educational qualifications during the course of a heated debate on ‘Food for Work’ programme in the Zilla Parishad general body meeting in February 2002.

The TDP leader had said that the degree possessed by Chinna Reddy was bogus. The Congress leader had completed his post-doctoral from University Pertanian Malaysia in 1989. Taking exception to the charge, Chinna Reddy had filed a defamation case and submitted 14 copies of his degrees to prove his qualification.

Speaking to reporters after the judgment, Janardhan Reddy, who represents Nagarkurnool constituency, said he would honour the court judgement and appeal in the higher court.

‘Moral victory’

Special Correspondent adds from Hyderabad:

Dr. Chinna Reddy termed the judgement a ‘moral victory’. He said the former TDP Minister had accused him of obtaining ‘bogus doctorate from a Malaysian University’.

Recalling the charges levelled by Congress leaders during the previous TDP regime that the rice meant for ‘Food-for-Work’ scheme was diverted to benefit the TDP’s cadres, he said “unable to counter the charges, the Minister had levelled allegations against me that I had obtained bogus degree,” the Minister said.

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