Relief for DMK worker in case of FB post against Minister

Justice MS Ramesh, who granted the interim stay, also ordered notice to the complainant A Packirisamy, an AIADMK cadre, returnable by January 25.

The petitioner S Killai Ravindran said following a comment by DMK working president MK Stalin, who called the ruling dispensation as ‘dengue government,’ the Handlooms Minister Manian, while addressing a political meeting commented that Stalin should protect his party from being infected with AIDS (HIV) or else the party will be called as AIDS party.

Based on this, Ravindran said by relying to a report published in a magazine, he posted a message in his Facebook that the Minister should take care of himself from contracting infections, since the magazine alleged that the minister was in Sirkazhi taking part in a night party. Following this, based on a complaint by Packiriswamy, police registered a case against him for offences under sections 504 and 505 (1) (b) of the IPC, which relate to intentional insult intent to break peace, the petitioner said.

He also submitted that the complainant, who had seen his FB post, lodged the complaint while not being an aggrieved party.

Since, the Minister had come out with bad remarks about the DMK, he had merely extracted the words from the magazine and posted his comments in his Facebook page, the petitioner added.