SC quashes defamation case against Union minister Murugan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed a defamation case against Union Minister and former Tamil Nadu state BJP chief, L. Murugan.

The case was filed by the Murasoli Trust in January 2021 against Murugan, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, for reportedly making some remarks related to the title of the trust property while he was the President of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP.

A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan decided to close the proceedings after the complainant trust submitted that it does not wish to continue the prosecution in view of Murugan's clarification that he had no intention of harming anyone's reputation.

It may be noted that a special court had taken cognisance of the complaint filed by the Murasoli Trust and had issued summons requiring Murugan’s personal appearance.

Thereafter, Murugan had filed a petition before the Madras High Court for an interim stay on the proceedings pending before the special court.

In its impugned decision, the Madras HC had said that while dealing with a petition under Section 482 CrPC, it cannot go into the merits of the case or the disputed questions of fact.

Upon going through the complaint and also the materials placed, a Bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh was prima facie convinced that the first limb of the offence of defamation has been satisfied by the complaint given against Murugan.

Dismissing Murugan’s petition, the Madras High Court had directed completion of trial within a period of three months.

“It is left open to the petitioner (Murugan) to raise all the grounds before the trial court and the same will be considered on its own merits and in accordance with law,” had ordered the Justice Venkatesh-led Bench, clarifying that observations, if any, contained in this order will not have any bearing on the trial proceedings.