Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi files criminal defamation complaint against suspended DMK spokesperson

Tamil Nadu (TN) Governor R N Ravi Thursday has filed a criminal defamation complaint against suspended DMK spokesperson Sivaji Krishnamurthy alleging that the latter had made an abusive and derogatory speech against him. .The complaint was filed by the Chennai City Public Prosecutor (CPP) G Devarajan on behalf of the Governor as provided under Section 199(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Ravi, in the compalint, has sought that the city sessions court to initiate defamation proceedings against Krishnamurthy under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The alleged defamatory comments refer to a public speech that Krishnamurthy made on January 13, in the aftermath of allegations that the Governor has deviated from the State Assembly tradition and had skipped out portions of the speech prepared by the TN government. In the speech, Krishnamurthy made several "false allegations," and "derogatory and defamatory statements," against Ravi, the complaint alleged. Among other things that were part of his speech, Krishnamurthy also said that he wished to "send terrorists to gun down the Governor." On the same day that the speech was made, the Governor’s deputy secretary S Prasanna Ramasamy registered a complaint with the Chennai City Commissioner of Police against Krishnamurthy. Ramasamy also submitted a video of such speech to the police and said that the "abusive and intimidatory" contents of the speech qualified as an offence under Section 124 of the IPC..On January 14, the Deputy Commissioner of police, cybercrime division, D V Kiran Shruthi addressed a communication to the Governor’s office informing that the alleged speech had been found to be defamatory and attracted charges under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC. Based on the complaint, the State passed a Government Order granting permission to the CPP to file a criminal defamation complaint against Krishnamurthy on behalf of the Governor. Krishnamurthy has been temporarily suspended from DMK following his speech.