Madras HC grants interim stay on lower court summons to Rajinikanth

Justice N Sathishkumar on granting an interim stay on the lower court proceedings until June 25 also directed the financier Mukundchand Bothra to file his counter by then.

The issue pertains to a private complaint moved by Bothra in VII metropolitan magistrate court, George Town, seeking defamation proceedings against the actor.

Bothra had claimed that Rajinikanth’s daughter’s father-in-law Kasthuri Raja had obtained a loan of Rs 40 lakh from him on January 2, 2012, and agreed to repay the same with interest. Again, he approached him on July 13, 2012 for a further loan of Rs.25 lakhs for which Kasturi Raja vide a letter stated that if he fails to pay back the loan Rajinikanth will pay it.

As Kasthuri Raja failed to pay the loan, the financier moved a criminal case against him, which was eventually dismissed.

Subsequently, based on the alleged letter written by Kasthuri Raja, the financier moved a city civil court against Rajinikanth to recover the loan. The actor filed an application claiming that the suit had been moved with an intention to ‘extort money’ from him.

The financier on claiming that Rajinikanth’s allegation that he is trying to extort money has brought him disrepute moved a private complaint of defamation. The Magistrate who took cognisance of the case issued summons to Rajinikanth.