HC stays defamation case against Sahitya Akademi award-

The Madras High Court today stayed proceedings in a case of alleged defamation filed against Tamil writer Joe D Cruz, alias Anand, for remarks about a fisermen community women and Christian priests in one of his novels which won him Sahitya Academy award in 2013.
Admitting a petition by the writer seeking stay on the proceedings and quash the defamation case, Justice M. M. Sundaresh stayed the proceedings pending in the Judicial Magistrate Court II in Tuticorin.
The writer rejected the charge that descriptions in the novel 'Korkai' was obscene and it portrayed 'Parthar' (fishermen community women) in a poor light, saying they were baseless.

While his first novel "Azhi Soozh Ulagam" was very well received, his second work 'Korkai' won the Akademi award, he submitted.
The Judicial Magistrate should have taken all these factors into consideration and dismissed the defamation case filed against him, the petitioner said.
Stating that the case was adjourned in the magistrate court frequently and he could not concentrate on his job in a shipping company, he sought to dispense with his personal appearnce in the lower court.
The defamation case was filed by General secretary of the Fishermen Liberation movment V.Alangara Parthar who had contended that Christian priests had been portrayed in a bad light in the novel and it would destroy people's faith in the religion and respect for priests.

Similarly, allegedly defamatory descriptions were found against fisherwomen, he alleged.