Nishka Srinivas Veluvali –
Published On: December 17, 2021 at 19:45 IST
The Supreme Court stepped back from meddling in the Order of Madras High Court that directed to release the Passport of the renowned Director, Poet and Artist Leena Manimekalai.
The Passport was confiscated by the Passport Authorities under the context of her pending Criminal Defamation case filed by Film producer Susi Ganesan against Leena.
The Apex Court ordered the Chennai Magistrate Court to pace up the Defamation Case Trial filed by Ganesan against Manimekalai on the “Me Too”allegations Leena posted against Susi on the public platform of Facebook in 2018.
Justice Indira Banrejee and Justice J K Maheshwari while hearing this Plea directed the Trial Court to issue Summons to Leena Manimekalai as her presence is felt important in the Trial Court.
However, the Madras High Court had earlier dismissed the seizure of the filmmaker’s passport as it is against The Passport Act, 1967.
The year of 2018 when the #MeToo was in a spur, Leena Manimekalai came forward and disclosed the Sexual Harassments she faced due to Susi Ganesan.
After which Ganesan filed a Criminal Defamation Case against the former in the Chennai Magistrate Court.
Manimekalai had filed a Petition through her Advocate regarding the confiscation of her Passport and not showing her Notice of Seizure issued prior.
Manimekalai also informed the Court that she had got her Passport renewed in 2017 and there were no Criminal Proceedings against her in that year.
The Madras High Court permitted the Filmmaker’s Petition while keeping aside the confiscation order of the Regional Passport Officer, Chennai.
Justice M Dhandapani also ordered the Regional Passport Office to release the confiscated Passport within one week from the receipt of the Court’s Order.
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