The suits were aimed to act as a deterrent to Arappor Iyakkam's complaint lodged with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2018 on corruption charges against the AIADMK former Minister S P Velumani and his close aides.
Coimbatore: Close on the heels of Arappor Iyakkam's complaint lodged with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2018 on corruption charges against the AIADMK former Minister S P Velumani and his close aides, a series of 18 defamation suits totalling over Rs. 15 crores were filed against Arappor Iyakkam. These suits were filed by S P Velumani, his close aides and contractors which included KCP Engineers Pvt. Ltd. (the name changed to KCP Infra in 2021) and Chandrasekar.
These suits were reportedly filed to threaten Arappor Iyakkam through what is famously known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP suits) to prevent the public from talking against corruption.
"However, we continued our fight against corruption. In August 2021, an FIR was filed on the former AIADMK Minister S P Velumani and his close aides including Chandrasekar. Now, KCP and Chandrasekar have withdrawn three of the suits totalling Rs. 3.06 crores and the High Court accepting the same has dismissed the three suits against Arappor Iyakkam. This is our victory in our fight against corruption and we will continue to fight corruption," opined members of Arappor Iyakkam.