India News | Defamation Case: Court Allows Achuthanandan's Appeal with Condition

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 14 (PTI) A district court here on Monday stayed with conditions a lower court order directing veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan to pay damages of Rs 10.10 lakh to senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy for loss of reputation.

Also Read | Cryptocurrencies Threaten Financial Sovereignty, Need to Be Banned, Says RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar.

The Principal District and Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram, allowed the appeal filed by Achuthanandan subject to the condition that the petitioner shall furnish security for the decretal debt subject to the satisfaction of the trial court, Chandy's office said.

Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: 21-Year-Old Drug Addict Youth Kills Grandfather for Rs 5000; Arrested.

Chandy had filed a case alleging defamatory comments by Achuthananadan in an interview to a Malayalam news channel in 2013 in connection with the solar scam.

Chandy was the Kerala chief minister and Achuthanandan the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly when the incident was reported.

In its recent order, Principal Sub Judge, Thiruvananthapuram, Shibu Daniel had found that Achuthanandan's remarks had lowered the reputation of Chandy in society and ordered the Marxist leader to pay damages of Rs 10,10,000 plus interest to him.

Achuthanandan had alleged that Chandy had a role in the solar scam. He had alleged that Chandy had formed a company with an intention to swindle money by joining hands with the scamsters.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)