CHENNAI: The Madras high court has quashed a criminal defamation complaint registered against DMK minister K N Nehru in 2020 by the then AIADMK government for his alleged defamatory speech against the then minister S P Velumani.
Allowing a plea moved by Nehru, Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan said, "it is settled law that where a matter is of public interest, the court ought not to weigh any comment on it in a fine scale."
The issue pertains to a GO dated July 15, 2020, granting sanction to prosecute the petitioner under section 499 and 500 of the IPC for allegedly making derogatory statements against the then minister. Perusing the complaint, the court said, "Admittedly, in the case on hand, the petitioner was not served with any notice of the facts constituting the offence. On perusal of the statement made by the petitioner, it revealed that it does not amount to defaming the then minister."
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