In a decision that could widen the already heated political fray, the Madras High Court approved the DMK to file a Rs 1 crore defamation suit against TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna and CTR Nirmal Kumar and the party's IT wing.
The petition, submitted by DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan, claims that TVK leaders alleged the DMK protected granite baron R Veeramani during his POCSO case while the party was in power. Veeramani, the industrialist behind Gem Granites, was arrested under the Goondas Act for alleged sexual abuse of minor girls.
Justice K Govindarajan Thilakavadi said the petition satisfies the legal requisites for a defamation action.
TVK has denied the allegations, labeling them as a political vendetta, and said it will fight the suit aggressively.
DMK is preparing the complaint and plans to file it by early June; the court has tentatively set a hearing for July.