HC declines to stay case proceedings

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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.