CHENNAI:  A special court in Chennai directed the AIADMK legal wing joint secretary RM Babu Murugavel to submit the material documents related to his defamation case against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu. The special court constituted to hear cases related to MP/MLAs heard the defamation case.

While hearing the case the special court directed the petitioner to place the material documents to issue a summon against the Speaker and adjourned the matter to September 9, for further hearing.

The petitioner alleged that the Speaker, in November last year, made a speech at an event, stating that after the demise of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, more than 40 Assembly members of AIADMK were ready to join DMK.

The petitioner submitted that the Speaker also claimed that a senior member of AIADMK approached him to assist in the shifting of loyalties, however, the then leader of the opposition MK Stalin refused to come to power without the mandate of the voters. It was submitted that the claim was fictitious to defame the AIADMK and sought action against the Speaker.