The Madras High Court has granted DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin time till September 21 to respond to a ₹1 crore defamation suit filed by Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna.
Aadhav Arjuna had approached the High Court alleging that Stalin had damaged his reputation by claiming in a post on X that John Britto, who was allegedly involved in a drug trafficking case, was his relative.
Referring to an Enforcement Directorate statement, Stalin had claimed that John Britto, described as the mastermind in the ₹258-crore drug trafficking case, was a relative of Aadhav Arjuna. The minister, however, denied having any relationship with Britto and sought ₹1 crore as damages.
In his petition, Aadhav Arjuna also sought directions to Stalin and the DMK IT wing to remove the social media posts, alleging that they were defamatory and intended to tarnish his reputation.
Justice Govindarajan Tilakavathi, who heard the case earlier, had directed Stalin and the DMK IT wing to file their responses.
When the matter came up for hearing again, senior counsel Wilson, appearing for Stalin, sought time till September 21 to file the counter.
Accepting the request, the judge adjourned the case to September 21.