Chennai, Sept 22:
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has filed a counter-affidavit in the Madras High Court seeking dismissal with costs of a ₹1-crore defamation suit filed against him by Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna.
Aadhav Arjuna had filed the suit after Stalin, in an X post citing an Enforcement Directorate statement, claimed that John Britto, described as the alleged mastermind in a ₹258-crore drug trafficking case, was his relative. Aadhav Arjuna denied the relationship and sought ₹1 crore in damages.
When the case came before Justice Govindarajan Thilakavathi, Stalin’s side argued that Aadhav Arjuna had not approached the court with “clean hands”. The counter-affidavit referred to alleged Enforcement Directorate cases involving Aadhav Arjuna’s father-in-law, mother-in-law and her brother. It also referred to a CBI case allegedly faced by Aadhav Arjuna in connection with the Karur crowd-crush deaths, which he had disclosed in his election affidavit.
Stalin’s side further denied having authorised or instructed the DMK IT wing to publish posts linking Aadhav Arjuna or John Britto to the drug case. It argued that the DMK president could not be held legally responsible for individual social media posts made by members of different party wings.
The counter also claimed that Aadhav Arjuna had not specifically denied that he had a relative named John Britto or that an ED case existed against him. It contended that he had produced no evidence to establish damage to his reputation and that his allegations of deliberate and malicious defamation were baseless.
Stalin’s side therefore sought dismissal of the suit with costs, contending that Aadhav Arjuna was not entitled to the relief sought.
Meanwhile, the DMK IT wing sought time to file its counter-affidavit. Accepting the request, the High Court adjourned further hearing to October 26.