The Madras High Court imposed a substantial fine of ₹1 crore 13 lakh on a woman named Sharmila from Kerala, holding her accountable for defaming AIADMK leader and former Health Minister Vijayabaskar who currently serves as MLA of the Viralimalai Assembly Constituency.
Sharmila has been accused of maliciously spreading false accusations against the former minister prompting him to pursue legal action for damages. The recent court proceedings witnessed Vijayabaskar personally appearing before the judiciary the day before yesterday with his lawyers Nithayesh, Vaibhav and Anirudh appearing for him.
Following today’s hearing, Justice Sathish Kumar delivered the verdict. The judgment, says that Vijayabaskar, being a former Health Minister, commanding widespread respect in society for his commendable efforts during the COVID-19 period, earning him various accolades should not be subjected to defamation.
Sharmila was directed to pay the cost towards the legal expenses incurred by ex minister during the course of legal battle.
Furthermore, the court issued a directive prohibiting the publication of news related to this case in newspapers and other media outlets. It explicitly mandated the immediate deletion of all messages and posts pertaining to the matter on social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
In a final ruling, Justice Satish Kumar ordered a fine of ₹1 crore 13 lakh on Sharmila for disseminating defamatory news. Additionally, Sharmila was instructed to reimburse the legal expenses incurred by ex-minister Vijayabaskar during the course of this legal battle.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram and WhatsApp and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.