Tamil Nadu Files Defamation Case Against TOI, Dinamalar

Chennai, Jan 4 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Monday filed defamation cases against dailies Dinamalar (Tamil) and Times of India (English) for their reportage on the reasons for the Chennai floods.

The case was filed by the city public prosecutor on behalf of Jayalalithaa, said Jaya TV.

According to the petition, the two newspapers published news reports defamatory of the state government and Jayalalithaa even after a clarification issued by Chief Secretary K.Gnanadesikan on the process followed while opening the sluice gates of the Chembarambakkam lake and the reason for Chennai going under water last month.

The news papers had reported that the opening of lake gates to let out the surplus water was delayed due to bureaucratic red tape.

Refuting the allegations, Gnanadesikan, in a statement on December 13, said the flooding of Chennai city was not due to official indecision or mismanagement of release of water from the Chembarambakkam lake into the Adyar river, and was caused primarily due to the very high rainfall in November, which was followed by more rain in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts on December 1.