The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and party functionary P. Kandavel to file their counter affidavits in response to a defamation petition filed by former AIADMK legislator K. C. Palanisamy. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for February 13.
In his plea, Palanisamy has sought ₹1 crore in damages, alleging that Palaniswami and Kandavel were responsible for instigating a false police complaint against him in 2020. The complaint, which accused him of enrolling fake party members and collecting money unlawfully, led to Palanisamy’s arrest and detention in prison for 19 days before he was released on bail.
Palanisamy argued that the criminal case was later quashed by the High Court in 2024, and that the entire episode had tarnished his reputation and caused mental anguish. He claimed that the allegations were unfounded and malicious, and sought legal restraint on further defamatory statements from the respondents.
Justice P. Dhanabal, after hearing the petition, directed both Palaniswami and Kandavel to file their responses by February 13 and adjourned the proceedings accordingly. The court’s order requires the defendants to formally address the accusations as part of the defamation suit.
The case underscores ongoing political and legal disputes within Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK party context, involving high-profile leaders and intra-party contention over actions taken during earlier years of leadership.