Four defamation suits against Stalin dismissed

Justice N Suresh Kumar before whom the pleas came up, on taking strong exception to a plethora of such defamation cases, raised the aspect of lack of tolerance among political leaders in facing criticism. Pointing out that the lower courts lost ample time in dealing with such politically loaded cases, the judge wondered as to how indiscriminate filing of defamation suits prevails only in Tamil Nadu and not in other states.

In response, Stalin’s counsel Kumaraesan submitted that when late DMK president M Karunanidhi was in power he would resort to moving defamation suits only under unavoidable circumstances.

Countering this, Public prosecutor A Natarajan said when lies are constantly being spread, there is no choice but to move criminal defamation suits.

However, Justice Satish Kumar, on observing that both parties should work towards putting an end to filing such defamation suits, pointed out that though large-scale criticism prevailed during the poor handling of 2015 floods, the present government has been lauded for its deft handling of heavy rains this year after having learnt a lesson from the earlier sordid experience.

Following this Justice Suresh Kumar dismissed four defamation suits moved against Stalin and posted the remaining 12 others for further hearing to next week.