Jaya libel case: ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy summoned

CHENNAI: The Principal District and Sessions Court, Chennai, issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against activist ‘Traffic’ KR Ramaswamy in the criminal defamation suit filed by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa had filed a suit after a Whatsapp message by Ramaswamy was circulated, in which he criticising her and the government over distribution of flood relief materials in Chennai and other parts of the State.

The criminal defamation case was filed in December 2015 and a non-bailable warrant was issued in 2016. But the police officials failed execute the order.

When the case came up for hearing, Judge R Selvakumar pulled up the police for not executing the order. The warrant lapsed in 2016 and a new non-bailable warrant was issued by the sessions court. After this, the case was adjourned to April 14.

As the December deluge devastated Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu, a message by Ramaswamy was circulated criticising the allegedly shoddy distribution of relief materials by the government.

The petition alleged that Ramaswamy’s message was defamatory, scandalous, insinuating and highly provocative. The prosecution also claimed that it harmed the reputation of the then Chief Minister. Then City Public Prosecutor filed the petition under Section 499 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the activist, punishable under Section 500 of IPC in December 2015.