The Madras High Court on Tuesday reserved its orders on a petition filed by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, seeking to quash a defamation complaint lodged against him. The complaint, filed by AIADMK Advocates Wing Joint Secretary M. Babu Murugavel, is currently pending before a Special Court in Chennai.
Justice G. Jayachandran, who presided over the hearing, reserved orders without specifying a date. Senior Counsel P. Wilson, representing Appavu, argued that the Speaker’s statement, made during a book release event in November last year, merely provided information and was not directed at the complainant.
The defamation complaint stems from Appavu’s remarks alleging that 40 AIADMK MLAs were ready to join the DMK following the demise of the AIADMK’s late leader J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Babu Murugavel claims that these remarks defamed the AIADMK, prompting him to file a case under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
In his arguments, Senior Counsel Wilson contended that the statement was directed at a group of MLAs, none of whom were named individually. He emphasized that the complainant lacked the legal standing to file the case, as he was not an AIADMK member during the alleged incident (2015-2016), having joined the party only in 2018. Wilson argued that even if the AIADMK were to be considered the aggrieved party, it had not authorized the complainant to act on its behalf.
Senior Counsel John Sathyan, appearing for the complainant, countered that Babu Murugavel, as Joint Secretary of the AIADMK’s legal wing and a member of its legal advisory committee, had the necessary locus standi to file the complaint. He argued that Appavu’s statements were baseless and capable of demoralizing AIADMK MLAs, warranting legal action.
Sathyan further emphasized that the complainant holds an official position within the party and has a duty to protect its reputation. According to him, the Speaker’s remarks were not only defamatory but also politically motivated, necessitating legal redress.
Appavu, in his petition, claimed that the complaint was politically driven and devoid of legal merit. He asserted that the private complaint was inherently improbable and legally unsustainable. He urged the court to quash the complaint pending before the Assistant Sessions Judge/Additional Special Court for Trial of Cases related to Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.
