Court notice to Jayalalithaa

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Jayalalithaa was issued summons by a Chennai court on Wednesday in connection with a defamation case filed against her by the Tamil Nadu government for her alleged remarks made against Chief Minister M Karunanidhi that was published in a local newspaper.

Principal Sessions judge P Devadoss issued the summons and posted the matter for further hearing on June 2.

In its petition filed on filed on April 13, the state government alleged that Jayalalihtaa had made a defaming statement in a local daily on January 23, accusing Karunanidhi of siphoning off funds from the Sri Lankan Relief Fund, constituted by the state.

The petitioner said the allegations were false, baseless and 'are patently per se defamatory' and made 'with an ulterior motive to defame him (Karunanidhi)'.

The allegations had 'completely damaged and undermined the high reputation of the Chief Minister in the eyes of his party cadres, colleagues and general public', the petition said adding, they were made out of 'jealousy, political ill-will and hatred'.