Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday filed a defamation suit in the Madras High Court against Narada News Chief Executive Officer Mathew Samuel after he released a documentary linking him with a break-in at J Jayalalithaa’s estate in 2017, PTI reported.
Unidentified men had killed a security guard during the robbery attempt at Kodanadu estate four months after Jayalalithaa’s death. Two months later, an accountant working at the estate was found dead at his house in Kotagiri.
On January 11, Mathew had released a video in which he interviewed two accused persons in the case, KV Sayan and Valayar Manoj, who claimed Palaniswami was linked to the case. Palaniswami denied any links with the robbery attempt.
The chief minister’s counsel has asked for an urgent hearing of the plea. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief and chief minister has sought Rs 1.1 crore in damages from Mathew, a former managing editor of Tehelka magazine. Palaniswami also asked the court to restrain news publications from publishing or telecasting Mathew’s interviews.
Soon after the video was released, Opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had demanded Palaniswami’s resignation. The DMK said it will stage a protest outside the Raj Bhavan on Thursday to demand Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s intervention in the matter.
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