TN govt sanctions case against Stalin

TN govt sanctions case against Stalin

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2021 

The AIADMK government has sanctioned a defamation case against DMK president M K Stalin for having levelled corruption charges against fisheries minister D Jayakumar.

In his party’s Makkal Grama Sabha meeting at Royapuram in Chennai last month, the DMK leader had alleged several irregularities in procurement of walkie-talkies for fishermen and accused Jayakumar of “causing loss to the tune of ₹30 crore to the exchequer”.

Incidentally, the DMK had mentioned it in its 98-page ‘corruption petition’ to governor Banwarilal Purohit, seeking DVAC probe against Jayakumar.

The DMK had said there was evidence of corruption, abuse and misuse of official power to favour a private company. An order issued by the public department on Wednesday said the defamatory speech was intended to malign the reputation of the minister in the discharge of his public functions.

“On a perusal of the said speech, it is found that it has imputations, which are per se defamatory against the minister. The defamatory speech is not only devoid of truth and good faith, but it has been intentionally made against the interest of the public good,” the order said, sanctioning the city public prosecutor, Chennai, to lodge a complaint against the DMK president.

The order said the government was satisfied that it was expedient and necessary that Stalin should be prosecuted in a court of law for an offence under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code punishable under section 500 of the said code.