By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : A Kerala court has ordered Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan, Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, party legislator P.Karunakaran and two others to pay Rs.1,10,000 compensation for defaming Kerala’s leader of opposition Oommen Chandy.
Justice B.Vijayan delivered the verdict Wednesday on a defamation case Chandy filed against CPI(M) party newspaper Deshabhimani for filing a story maligning him in 2001.
Deshabhimani had reported that at a news conference called by the Poultry Growers Association it was said that Chandy had taken bribe for allowing import of chickens from neighbouring states.
Chandy was then the convenor of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
Vijayan’s name was included in the case because he was then the CPI(M) state secretary and Achuthanandan happened to be then general manager of the newspaper.
Two office-bearers of the poultry association have also been ordered to contribute to the compensation.
Chandy was unavailable for comment as he was busy taking part in a padayatra in Kannur district in north Kerala.
The only reaction from him was a pleasant smile when newsmen brought the verdict to his notice.