The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Court issues notice to Public Secretary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 24, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Court issues notice to Public Secretary

Special Correspondent

Jayalalithaa's plea to quash a GO sanctioning defamation proceedings against her

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has issued notice to the Public Secretary on a petition filed by the former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, seeking to quash a Government Order sanctioning initiation of defamation proceedings against her.

The GO was issued on December 28, 2006 for her reported statement that Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was responsible for the delay in the unveiling of an MGR statue on Parliament premises.

In her petition, Mr. Jayalalithaa said her statement, dated November 22, 2006, referred to Mr. Karunanidhi in his individual capacity, and not with respect to any of his public duties. "The statement does not characterise or defame any of his public duties... Not a single word has been said against him in his official capacity or with respect to his official functioning."

Assailing the order, she said the Public Secretary ought not to have generated or accepted to convert a purely private matter into a public matter so as to merit the use of Section 199 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. She sought to stay the operation of the GO and quash it.

Justice D. Murugesan, before whom the matter came up for admission, ordered notice to the Public Secretary. Adjourning the matter to March 1, the judge dispensed with the personal appearance of Ms. Jayalalithaa in the Principal Sessions Court, which has asked her to appear on February 26.

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