HC restrains Tamil bi-weekly on Vijaykanth's plea

Madras High Court today directed a Tamil bi-weekly not to publish any defamatory statement or personal news affecting the reputation of actor-turned politician Vijaykanth of DMDK or his family members.
Justice S Thamizhvanan passed the interim order on a civil suit filed by Vijaykanth against Kumudam Group of Companies Publication Private Limited and posted the matter for further hearing to June 5.
Vijaykanth alleged that one of the group magazines "Kumudam Reporter" carried "defamatory" news items to "tarnish" his reputation ahead of Lok Sabha elections and sought an interim injunction restraining the magazine.
"It is not in dispute that the Parliamentary Election is scheduled to be held on April 24 (tomorrow) for Tamil Nadu state and if there is any adverse news against the applicant, that would adversely affect the applicant," the judge observed.

Vijaykanth submitted that the magazine in its issues dated March 2 and April 14 carried reports about his health condition besides alleging that he had demanded huge money from party candidate in Madurai Lok Sabha constituency.
Arguing that these were published with a sole objective to tarnish and malign his reputation, he sought an injunction restraining the publication or any other magazine under the group in any manner causing damage to his and his family members' reputation, without seeking clarification from him.
The DMDK leader said he had already sent a legal notice to the publication on March 14 but did not receive any response which made him file this petition.

When the matter came up for hearing, counsel for the Kumudam group gave an undertaking not to publish any defamatory news against Vijaykanth.