Defamation case: Madras HC relief for Suriya, Sathyaraj, 6 others

The Madras high court has provided relief to eight South film stars including actors Suriya, Sathyaraj, Sarath Kumar, Vivek, Vijayakumar, Arun Vijay, Sripriya and Cheran by quashing a defamation case in which non-bailable arrest warrants (NBW) were issued against them.

Justice Muralidharan, while quashing the case, observed that no useful purpose would be served by continuing the prosecution.

A court in Ooty had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against actors Suriya, Sathyaraj, Sarath Kumar, Vivek, Vijayakumar, Arun Vijay, Cheran and Sripriya for failing to present themselves in connection with a defamation case filed against them by a journalist.

The case was filed by Rozario Susai after the actors indulged in slander and abused journalists and their family members while delivering speeches at a specially convened meeting at the Nadigar Sangam in 2009.

The speeches were delivered at a time the actors had taken exception to a particular report that had appeared in a leading vernacular newspaper.

Rozario filed the defamation case against those actors who had delivered such speeches under Section 200 of the Code of Criminal Prodecure (CrPC).

The actors, for their part, approached the Madras high court with petitions urging the court to quash the petition seeking action against them for the defamatory speeches.