Chennai: The Madras High Court has quashed a defamation case against former AIADMK minister CVe Shanmugam, who had been accused of making derogatory remarks about Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin during a public meeting in 2022.
The defamation case was registered at the Tindivanam police station after Shanmugam’s speech allegedly included statements that could incite violence and disturb public peace. The police had booked the case under more serious sections, citing potential conflict between political factions.
In his petition, Shanmugam sought the court’s intervention to quash the case. While the court acknowledged that Shanmugam’s comments were unacceptable, it questioned the police’s decision to file the case under sections pertaining to inciting violence and disturbing public peace.
During the hearing, the counsel representing the police defended the charges, arguing that the speech had the potential to incite conflict between political factions, thereby disturbing public peace.
After considering the arguments from both sides, the court decided to quash the defamation case against the former law minister. The ruling is seen as a significant legal development in the ongoing political dynamics of the state.
CVe Shanmugam, a prominent figure in the AIADMK, has often been a vocal critic of the ruling DMK, and the outcome of this case may have broader implications for political discourse in Tamil Nadu.