Non-bailable warrants against eight actors

Case pertains to a defamation plaint

The judicial magistrate court in Udhagamandalam issued non-bailable warrants against eight actors after they failed to appear before the court in connection with a defamation case on May 15.

According to advocates K. Vijayan, Pon Senthil Kumaran and Karu Pitchaiammal Rajagopal, who were representing petitioner Rozario Maria Soosai, a senior journalist in Udhagamandalam, the actors – Surya, Sarathkumar, Sathyaraj, Vivek, Arun Vijay, Sri Priya, Cheran and Vijay Kumar – had reportedly insulted a leading Tamil news daily and a journalist on October 7, 2009, during a meeting of the South Indian Film Artistes Association.

The actors were reportedly angered by reports carried by the newspaper which alleged that prostitution was rife in the Tamil film industry, following the arrest of an actor.

Mr. Rozario filed a complaint on November 13, 2009, urging the court to register a case against the actors for defamation. He had wanted the actors to be booked under sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.

After the case was filed, the actors approached the Madras High Court and filed dispense and quash petitions, which were recently dismissed, said Mr. Vijayan. Moreover, since the actors failed to appear before the judicial magistrate court in Udhagamandalam on May 15, 2017, the judge, Senthilkumar Rajavel, issued non-bailable warrants against them. The case has been adjourned till June 17.