High Court stays criminal verification case against ‘Tamil Hindu’
EmailChennai, June 10 the Madras High Court stayed criminal verification proceedings against Tamil daily, the ‘Tamil Hindu’ filed by the state government. Admitting the Criminal Original Petitions of the daily’s Publisher N Ram, Printer N Ravi and Editor Asokan, Justice P N Prakash granted temporary stay of further proceedings before the session’s court.
He also dispensed with the personal appearance of all the three in the case before the Principal Sessions Judge court. Public Prosecutor ML Jegan had filed criminal defamation cases TNCC president EVKS Elangovan for leveling some charges against state Ministers Edapadi Palanisamy and C Vijayabasker and against the daily, which published the same.
The PP had contended that these remarks were per se defamatory in nature. Meanwhile, Elangovan today appeared before the PSJ Court, which adjourned the case to July 20. He filed a petition in PSJ court, stating that the constitutional validity of Section 199 CrPC, which paves the way for filing criminal defamation cases, is pending adjudication before the Supreme Court and prayed for a stay on the case against him till a decision, was taken by the apex court.
