Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, is suing EPS and Annamalai for defaming him by making remarks about “drug peddling.”

Following the arrest of Jaffer Sadiq, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin filed a lawsuit on Thursday against K Annamalai, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Edappadi K Palaniswami, the general secretary of the AIADMK, alleging that they made “scandalous, defamatory statements” linking him to drug peddling with the intent of damaging his public image and goodwill.

The defamation cases were brought before the Chennai Principal Sessions Court by means of City Public Prosecutor G Devarajan. The petition, which made reference to a press conference held by Palaniswami on March 8, 2024, claimed that the Chief Minister’s “goodwill and reputation” in the eyes of the public and his peers had suffered “significant harm” due to a “malicious intent to gain unjust political advantage by linking him with the distribution of pseudoephedrine and aiding the drug peddlers.”

The petition said, “The defamatory statement was made intending to harm the CM’s reputation in respect of his conduct in the discharge of his public function.”

It also said that since Palaniswami’s remarks constituted defamation as that term is defined by section 499 of the IPC, it is attempting to prosecute him for them. The remarks were made without any foundation or supporting documentation against the public servant or constitutional functionary.

For like grounds, a second defamation suit was brought against Annamalai. The petition claimed that since the two leaders’ scandalous remarks qualified as defamation and had “a direct and reasonable nexus” with the Chief Minister’s performance of his or her official duties, they are criminal under section 500 of the IPC.

President of the DMK and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin
DMK denounces efforts to link “drug lord” Jaffer Sadiq to the party and states that it has no affiliation with him.
DMK president and MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK and BJP protest the “drug menace.”

Joining the Chief Minister’s drug-eradication initiative, the petition stated that in 2022, 10,665 cases were reported, leading to the apprehension of 14,934 individuals, including 19 foreign nationals, and the confiscation of 28,383 kg of Ganja, 63,848 drug tablets, and 98 kg of other drugs.

A total of 1,272 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act were recorded during the “Ganja and Gutkha operation 1.0,” which was initiated from December 6, 2021 to January 5, 2022. This led to the arrest of 1,221 people and the recovery of 2,299 kg of ganja and 23 kg of heroine.

A total of 2,023 NDPS cases were reported during a similar operation that took place between March 28, 2022, and April 27, 2022; 2,423 accused were taken into custody and 3,562 kg of ganja were recovered, according to the petition.

151 moveable and immovable assets worth about Rs. 17.87 crore were confiscated, and 72 cases filed against drug offenders had financial investigations started.

Section 102 Cr.P.C. resulted in the freezing of up to 4,994 bank accounts belonging to accused individuals involved in NDPS Act proceedings, as well as their friends or family, with a balance of Rs. 2 crore.

24,880 accused parties who have been engaged in NDPS cases since 2019 have been laid out so that the public may see the actions of past offenders. Of which, over 12,000 of the accused are detained.

In NIB CID, a cyber cell was established with three PCs and software approved by the DGP’s discretionary funding. It also disclosed the establishment of the Enforcement Bureau-CID as a new division to combat illicit drug and alcohol sales.

Mohamed Saleem, Jaffer Sadiq’s brother, is expelled by DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin VCK for actions that damage the party.