HC declines to stay case proceedings
Chennai: The Madras high court on Tuesday declined to stay proceedings in two defamation cases against DMDK leader Vijayakanth pending before courts in Villupuram and Dindigul districts.
The public prosecutor in Villupuram had filed a defamation complaint against Vijayakanth, following his alleged defamatory speech against chief minister J. Jayalalithaa at a public meeting on August 30, 2012, in Villupuram.
On August 1, 2012, in Dindigul, the public prosecutor filed a defamation complaint against Vijayakanth following another alleged defamatory speech against the chief minister at a public meeting.
The courts in Villupuram and Dindigul ordered issuance of summons to Vijayakant for his appearance before the courts on January 9. Seeking to quash these cases, Vijayakant filed two petitions in the Madras high court.
When the petitions came up for hearing, Namo Narayanan and Balaji, counsel for Vijayakanth, prayed the court to stay the proceedings pending before the Villupuram and Dindigul courts. Additional advocate general P.H. Arvind Pandian vehemently opposed the plea.
Following this, Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar declined to grant stay but ordered notice, returnable by two weeks, to the state government. Meanwhile, the judge stayed the proceedings in another defamation case against Vijayakanth pending before the court in Cuddalore district, besides ordering notice to the state government.
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