Sabareesan slaps defamation notice on TVK ministers

CHENNAI: V Sabareesan, son-in-law of former Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin, has issued separate legal notices to TVK ministers Aadhav Arjuna and R Nirmalkumar, alleging that statements made by them during press interactions amounted to defamation and seeking a public apology within 15 days.

The notices, dated June 27 and issued through advocate AS Aswin Prasanna, relate to separate press interactions held on June 25. Sabareesan alleged that the ministers made false statements against him, which were carried by television channels and circulated on social media, causing damage to his reputation.

According to the notices, Sabareesan has demanded that the ministers withdraw the statements, issue public apologies through the same media platforms, remove videos containing the remarks from social media, and submit written undertakings that they will not make similar statements in the future.

The notices state that the remarks constitute criminal defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and also expose the ministers to civil proceedings for damages. They further claim that the circulation of the statements via television broadcasts and digital platforms harmed Sabareesan's image and standing.

In the notice issued to Aadhav Arjuna, Sabareesan referred to statements allegedly made during a press meet on June 25, citing Aadhav Arjuna's allegation that, during the previous DMK government, the 32 departments were divided into two sets of 16, with Udhayanidhi Stalin and Sabareesan allegedly handling party fund collections from the departments under their respective charge. Sabareesan denied the allegation and described it as defamatory.

The notice to Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmalkumar pertains to remarks allegedly made during a separate press conference on the same day, in which he said the State's revenue had risen to Rs 1.23 lakh crore between 2025 and 2026, while expenditure and borrowings had also increased. During the press conference, the minister had questioned who had benefited from tariff hikes and alleged that three ministers in the previous DMK government, along with persons linked to the former Chief Minister's family, including his son and son-in-law, should answer the questions. He had also claimed that the government had borrowed Rs 87,000 crore during the period. Sabareesan denied the allegations and termed them defamatory.

The notices warn that if the demands are not met within 15 days of receipt, Sabareesan will initiate criminal and civil proceedings before the competent court while reserving all legal rights and remedies available to him.