1. Minister Senthilbalaji arrest | Madras HC allows transfer of Minister to private hospital; Stalin warns BJP
In a significant breather for Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise V. Senthilbalaji, the Madras High Court ordered that he who is now undergoing treatment at the Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Omandurar Estate, Chennai after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), can be shifted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai.
A Division Bench of Justices J. Nisha Banu and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the interim order on a habeas corpus petition filed by the Minister’s wife Megala. The doctors at the government hospital had suggested an emergency treatment for the Minister who had also been examined by doctors from the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Later in the evening, the Principal Sessions Court is hear ED’s petition seeking 15-day custody of Senthilbalaji.
Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin, in a video message titled Ungalil Oruvan, warned the BJP that it would not be able to bear the consequences if it provoked the DMK and its party cadre. Making it clear that he was not opposed to an inquiry against Mr. Senthilbalaji, Mr. Stalin wondered what was the need to treat the Minister like a terrorist, locking him in a room.
Former AIADMK Ministers D. Jayakumar, C. Vijayabaskar, C. Ve. Shanmugam and P. Benjamin submitted a representation to Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi seeking removal of Mr. Senthilbalaji from the Cabinet citing that he is under judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case.
2. ‘DMK Files’ | Annamalai summoned for court appearance on July 14
A Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Chennai has issued summons to Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai, directing him to appear before the court on July 14. The order was passed by the court after taking cognizance of a criminal defamation complaint filed by DMK party treasurer and MP, T.R. Baalu.
Earlier on May 12, Mr. Baalu had filed a defamation complaint at the city court at Saidapet seeking to penalise Mr. Annamalai who, he claims, defamed him at a press conference on April 14 through misleading statements.
3. Madras HC dismisses suit alleging Rajinikanth-starrer Enthiran’s script was stolen
The Madras High Court dismissed a 13-year-old civil suit filed by writer Aarur Tamil Nadan claiming that the script of Rajinikanth-starring film ‘Enthiran’ was stolen from a story authored by him under the title Jugiba in 1996. The civil suit sought damages of ₹1 crore from the film’s director S. Shankar and producer Kalanidhi Maran of Sun Pictures.
Justice S. Sounthar held that he did not find any merit in the civil suit and also directed the plaintiff to pay the cost of the suit to the defendants. The verdict was delivered after a full-fledged trial.
