Kerala High Court Quashes Defamation Case Against Dancers RLV Ramakrishnan, Ullas
The Kerala High Court recently quashed the criminal proceedings taken against Mohiniyattom dancers RLV Ramakrishnan and Ullas U. (accused persons/petitioner). The proceedings were initiated on the basis of a private complaint filed by Kalamandalam Sathyabhama before the Magistrate in 2018 alleging defamation.In the private complaint, it was alleged that the 1st accused Ramakrishnan...
The Kerala High Court recently quashed the criminal proceedings taken against Mohiniyattom dancers RLV Ramakrishnan and Ullas U. (accused persons/petitioner). The proceedings were initiated on the basis of a private complaint filed by Kalamandalam Sathyabhama before the Magistrate in 2018 alleging defamation.
In the private complaint, it was alleged that the 1st accused Ramakrishnan secretly recorded a telephone conversation between him and the complainant and thereafter, the accused persons published certain parts of the conversations, which defamed her.
Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath observed that the complaint did not reproduce or extract the alleged defamatory statement nor did it contain the alleged date of publication of the statement.
The Court observed: "It is only when the complainant produces the materials that support a prima facie case for defamation that the learned Magistrate can take cognizance of the offence. For these reasons, I hold that no useful purpose will be served by allowing the criminal prosecution against the petitioners to continue."
Thus, the Court allowed the petition and quashed all the further proceedings before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Thiruvananthapuram.
Case Title: Ramakrishnan and Anr. v. State of Kerala and Anr.
Case No: Crl.M.C. No. 7442 of 2019
Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 432