Sungai Siput MP ordered to pay RM80,000 in damages to former aide

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has ordered Sungai Siput MP S. Kesavan to pay RM80,000 in damages to his former parliamentary research officer Indrani Ramasamy for defamation.

A three-member panel, comprising Justices Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, Datuk Hashim Hamzah and Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah made the ruling after allowing Indrani's appeal of the High Court decision which dismissed her suit against Kesavan.

In the online proceedings on Friday (Oct 20), the panel also ordered Kesavan to pay RM20,000 in costs to Indrani, who was represented by counsel Rueben Mathiavaranam.

Lawyer Azhar Arman Ali acted for Kesavan.

Rueben, when contacted, said the Appellate Court found that his client had successfully proven her case; and held that the High Court judge made an error by making a finding that Indrani and Kesavan were involved in dishonourable conduct without allowing the parties to make submissions on this point.

"Hence, the decision of the High Court is set aside and the Appellate Court ordered the respondent (Kesavan) to pay Indrani damages in the global sum of RM80,000," he said.

High Court judge Datuk Azimah Omar (now a Court of Appeal judge), when dismissing Indrani’s suit last year, said public policy dictated that the court shall not expend any time or resources to give any remedies to parties who come before the court with utter deception to conceal their immoral acts and engagements.

Indrani filed the suit on July 16, 2019, following Kesavan's public statement claiming that Indrani was the one who pursued him, wanted to wreck his marriage and caused him mental trauma by her accusation.

Indrani also lodged a police report claiming Kesavan had been sexually harassing her since December 2018. – Bernama