Chennai, Oct 5:
The Madras High Court has permitted the DMK to initiate defamation proceedings against Tamil Nadu Ministers C T R Nirmal Kumar and Aadhav Arjuna and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) IT wing over remarks linking the party to the case against Gem Granites owner Veeramani, who was arrested under the POCSO Act.
The TVK ministers had alleged that the previous DMK government had failed to take appropriate action against Viramani, who was accused of sexually assaulting minor girls, and had allowed him to escape legal action. The TVK IT wing had also made similar allegations against the DMK government through posts on X.
Contending that the statements had damaged the reputation of the DMK, party general secretary and former minister Duraimurugan had approached the Madras High Court seeking an injunction restraining Nirmal Kumar, Aadhav Arjuna and the TVK IT wing from making such statements in connection with the Veeramani case.
Duraimurugan had also sought an order directing the ministers and the TVK IT wing to pay Rs 1.01 crore as damages for the alleged defamation.
In its petition, the DMK submitted that a complaint against Veeramani was received on October 6, 2025, and a case was registered the very next day. It maintained that immediate action had been taken without any interference or delay.
The DMK further alleged that the ministers and the ruling party’s IT wing were making defamatory statements against the party despite the facts of the case. It also sought directions to social media platforms to remove posts and videos allegedly targeting the DMK in connection with the matter.
When the case came up before Justice Govindarajan Thilakavathi, Advocate General Vijay Narayan, appearing for the ministers, argued that a prior notice should have been issued before initiating proceedings against them. Since no such notice had been served, he contended that the petition was not maintainable.
Senior counsel J Ravindran, appearing for the DMK, submitted that Nirmal Kumar and Aadhav Arjuna had been impleaded in their individual capacities and not merely in their capacity as ministers.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge had reserved orders without specifying a date.
In the order pronounced on Monday, Justice Govindarajan Thilakavathi permitted the DMK to initiate defamation proceedings against Nirmal Kumar, Aadhav Arjuna and the TVK IT wing over their remarks linking the party to the Veeramani case.