The Madras High Court today granted an interm stay on all further proceedings against comedy actor Vadivelu in a lower court in Namakkal regarding a speech he gave in the run up to South Indian Artistes Association polls and also exempted him from personal appearance.
On a petition filed by Vadivelu, Justice R Subbaiah exempted the actor from appearing before Judicial Magistrate 1 of Namakkal.
The actor submitted that one Namakkal Raja, claiming to be president of 'Sri La Shri Sankaradoss Swamigal Thunai Namakkal District Nadaga Nadigar Sangam' had filed a criminal defamation complaint against him on his speech made during the recent elections to SIAA.
Vadivelu said he had worked in support of actor Vishal and and his team. In his speeches, he had spoken in a lighter vein as in a cinema and referred to the scene of disappearance of a well.
He said that nowhere in his speech was there a word coming within the meaning of defamation as defined under Section 499 of IPC. He further said he had never intended to make any defamatory speech towards anyone, as alleged
The Judicial Magistrate concerned had 'totally failed' to see the settled proposition of law and taking cognizance of the complaint was totally against law laid down by the Supreme Court.
He sought a stay of all further proceedings on the file of JM I, Namakkal district, and quash the criminal defamation complaint and also sought to dispense with his personal appearance before the court.
Justice R Subbiah, who admitted the petition, granted interim stay of all further proceedings.
Elections to SIAA were held on October 18.
