Tuesday, March 22 2005 20:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: A sessions court in Chennai today (March 22, 2005) issued summons to senior BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Murli Manohar Joshi to appear in court on June six in connection with a suit filed against him for alleged defamatory remarks against the Tamil Nadu Government in connection with the arrest of Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi in the Sankararaman murder case.

The third Additional Sessions Judge, B Ramalingam, ordered the issue of summons to Joshi on a petition filed by city Public Prosecutor T V Ganesan on behalf of the Government.

In all four Tamil and two English dailies have been named in the defamation suit for publishing Joshi's remarks, flaying the Government and State police over the arrest of the Seer.

In the petition, Ganesh said that Joshi, who had met the Seer in Vellore prison on November 14, had made the remarks without verifying facts and that they tarnished the image of the Government in the eyes of the public.

The suit sought to punish Joshi, a former Union Minister, for his per se remarks that there was an 'ulterior motive' behind the arrest and that it was the result of a conspiracy.

Ganesh said the remarks were made without verifying facts. The Seer was arrested on November 11 in connection with the murder of Sankararaman, manager of a Kancheepuram temple on September three last, and lodged in Vellore prison, where he remained till he was granted bail by the Supreme Court on January 10.