News Tamil Nadu

Madras High Court Orders Karuppar Kootam To Pay ₹1 Crore Compensation To Seva Bharathi Over False Accusations In Sathankulam Custodial Death Case

March 8, 2024
The Commune

In a development regarding the Sathankulam murder case, Seva Bharathi, a social service organization, approached the Madras High Court seeking a ban on news aired by the Karappar Kootam YouTube channel. Rabu Manohar, the President of Seva Bharathi, filed a defamation suit against Karuppar Kootam and demanded compensation of ₹1 crore for maligning Seva Bharti’s image by falsely implicating the organisation in the Sathankulam custodial death case.

The complaint was filed in 2020 with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kilpauk Zone, Chennai, against false allegations made by Karuppar Kootam channel linking the organisation to the custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Benix in Sathankulam, Tamil Nadu. The complaint addresses three videos falsely claiming Seva Bharathi collaborated with the police in the incident. Seva Bharathi asserted it has no presence in Sathankulam, and the accusations lack specifics about individuals or locations. The organization, known for impartial disaster relief, perceived the smear campaign as an attempt to undermine its reputation. Seva Bharathi called for legal action, urging the police to register a case under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, requesting the ban of the channels and removal of the videos.

On 19 June 2020, P. Jeyaraj and his son J. Beniks were detained by Tamil Nadu Police, accused of violating COVID-19 lockdown regulations by keeping their mobile accessories shop open beyond permitted hours. Despite police claims of a lockdown violation, a subsequent CBI chargesheet revealed no such breach. Shockingly, both father and son endured sexual assault and torture while in custody, resulting in their tragic deaths. The incident, occurring in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, shedding light on issues of police brutality.

 

Justice Satish Kumar took cognizance of the case and directed an investigation. The court also issued a notice to the Karappar Kootam channel, instructing them to respond to the allegations. To date, Karuppar Kootam has not provided any response on behalf of the channel.

Owing to the lack of cooperation, Justice Satish Kumar ordered the channel to pay ₹1 crore as compensation to Seva Bharathi. Additionally, the court directed that Karuppar Kootam refrain from discussing or reporting on Seva Bharathi in any manner.

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