AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) has won a defamation case filed by him against the elder brother of the main accused in the Kodanad robbery and murder case in 2017. The Madras High Court directed C Dhanapal, the accused, to pay Rs 1.1 million as compensation to the AIADMK general secretary and opposition leader in Tamil Nadu. The court also permanently restrained C Dhanapal from making further defamatory statements against EPS.

Justice RMT Teeka Raman, who passed the order, expressed concern over the growing trend of defamation on social media. “In the age of social media, desecration of the reputations of public figures has become child’s play,” the judge said. He added that social media platforms, instead of promoting positive discourse, have become fertile ground for the spread of harmful rumors and malicious attacks.

The defamation suit filed by Palaniswami arose from interviews given by Dhanapal in 2023, where he linked the AIADMK leader to the 2017 robbery and murder at the Kodanad tea estate, owned by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the late J. Jayalalithaa. . Dhanapal had alleged that Palaniswami and other AIADMK leaders were involved in the crime, even though there was no evidence to support these claims.

The court found that Dhanapal’s statements were false and malicious and were intended solely to tarnish Palaniswami’s reputation ahead of the 2024 general elections. Justice Raman noted that Dhanapal had neither refuted the allegations nor provided a valid defense, leaving to the court with no choice but to conclude that the statements were made with the intent to defame.

Reputation, the judge emphasized, is a vital part of an individual’s identity and, once damaged, cannot be restored. The compensation of Rs 1.1 million, while acknowledging the seriousness of the defamation, was seen as an attempt to address the damage caused by Dhanapal’s baseless public allegations.

The Kodanad murder and robbery case remains shrouded in mystery and the main suspect, Kanagaraj, Dhanapal’s younger brother, died in a road accident soon after the incident, complicating the investigation. Palaniswami has denied any involvement in the case, alleging that the ruling DMK is using it to frame him politically.