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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today quashed the defamation case against Union Minister Dr. L Murugan filed by DMK's Murasoli Trust.

A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan passed the order after Murasoli Trust said that it does not wish to prosecute in view of Murugan's statement that he had no intention of harming anyone's reputation.

Murugan had approached the top court by way of an SLP against the Madras High Court upholding the defamation case and ordering a swift three-month trial.

Murugan is the former State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and presently, he is the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the Central Government.

The allegations against Murugan were that he made defamatory statements when he attended a press meet on December 28, 2020 against Murasoli Trust, of which CM MK Stalin is one of the trustees. The Trust alleged that said statements were made with an ulterior motive to degrade and tarnish the reputation of the Trust in the eyes of the general public.

A legal notice was issued by the Trust the next day to Murugan calling upon him to withdraw the defamatory statements and to tender unconditional apology, to which Murugan did not respond. 

Consequently, the Trust filed a private complaint against Murugan under Sections and 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code. The Trust claimed that Murugan attempted to create an impression as if the Trust was being run on a Panchami land. 

Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the High Court noted that the Trust's allegation was that Murugan was again and again trying to project as if the Murasoli Trust is functioning in a property without any right or title.

Therefore, high court had dismissed Murugan's quash petition while directing the Assistant Sessions Judge/Additional Special Court for Trial of Cases related to Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu, Chennai to disposed of the concerned trial case within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of the high court's order. 

Case Title: Dr. L. Murugan vs. Murasoli Trust