CHENNAI: Actor Vijay Sethupathi has moved the Madras high court to quash a criminal complaint filed against him for allegedly assaulting a man at Bengaluru airport. Justice M Nirmal Kumar adjourned the matter to January 11 for final hearing.
The issue pertains to a summon issued by IX Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Chennai directing Vijay Sethupathi and his manager on a defamation complaint filed by Maha Gandhi. They were directed to appear before the court on January 4. Aggrieved, Vijay Sethupathi moved the high court seeking to quash the complaint. Representing the actor, advocate Narmadha Sampath contended that the alleged incident happened on November 2, 2021 in Bengaluru Airport.
However, the magistrate court in Chennai which has no jurisdiction has issued the summons. She further pointed out that there was a month’s delay in filing the complaint.
According to the complainant, while he was visiting Bengaluru on November 2, 2021 he had met Vijay Sethupathi at the Kempegowda International Airport and spoken to him. He further alleged that Vijay Sethupathi belittled him, and his manager assaulted him and threatened to kill him.
Subsequently, he came to know that Vijay Sethupathi had spoken ill of him in an interview. On November 8, when he visited the doctor, he learned that his ear had been injured in the assault.
Therefore, he filed a private complaint before the magistrate court to take cognisance of the case, issue summons to the accused, and prosecute and punish them for the offence punishable under sections 294 (b) (Uttering vulgar words), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 500 (Punishment for defamation) and 506 (i) (Criminal Intimidation) of IPC.
