HC exempts Vijayakant from personal appearance in defamation

Madras High Court today exempted Opposition DMDK leader Vijayakant from personal appearance in various district and sessions courts in connection with defamation cases filed against him by the state government.
The petitioner had challenged the constitutional validity of section 199 of the CrPc under which the government can give sanction to prosecutors for filing criminal defamation cases and prayed for dispensing with his personal appearance till the disposal of his petition.
A Division Bench, comprising Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice P N Prakash, passed the interim order exempting Vijayakant from personal appearance and also ordered issue of notices to the Union Law Ministry and Secretary (Law and order), Tamil Nadu Government to file counter by December 11.

The state government had filed criminal defamation cases in various district and sessions courts in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Tiruppur, Kanyakumari, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Dindigul and Thanjavur, against Vijayakant.