Chennai court issues arrest warrant against director Selvamani, ex-MLA Arul Anbarasu

A Magistrate's court in Chennai has issued bailable arrest warrants against noted film director RK Selvamani, who is the husband of Andhra legislator Sreelatha alias Roja, as well as against Arul Anbarasu, former Congress MLA and the son of former Congress MP Anbarasu, in connection with a defamation case. The defamation case has been filed by film financier Mukanchand Bothra against allegedly defamatory statements made against him on a TV channel. Bothra is now deceased but his son Gaganchand has been fighting the case.  

The XV Metropolitan Magistrate in George Town on Monday, April 4, issued the bailable arrest warrants against the two, requiring their presence in his court on April 23. The Magistrate issued the warrants as the two accused did not appear before him on the earlier occasions and when they were summoned on April 4.

The warrants have been issued in connection with the defamation case filed by film financier Mukanchand Bothra of Sowcarpet in 2017. The charge against the duo was that they had given in an interview to Tamil television news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai on September 5, 2016, in which they had allegedly made defamatory statements against the original petitioner Mukanchand Bothra. The statements were made on the issue relating to the latter lending a huge amount to actor Roja, as well as his lending business. The words used by the duo had "brought down the reputation and the image of the complainant in the eyes of the general public," Bothra contended, and sought to punish them for offences under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, the TV channel appealed against this, and the case against the TV channel was quashed on February 7 this year. During the pendency of the matter, the petitioner died and his son Gaganchand Bothra pursued the case. However, the case against Selvamani and  Arul Anbarasu is being heard by the local court in Chennai. The next date of hearing is April 23.