(Prayer: Appeal against the ad interim injunction order passed by a learned single Judge of this Court dated 15.03.2006 in Original Application No.599 of 2003 in C.S.No.477 of 2003.)

Chief Justice:

The first appellant, R.Rajagopal @ R.R.Gopal, is the Editor, Printer and Publisher of ‘Nakkheeran’, a bi-weekly magazine published from Chennai. The second appellant, A.Kamaraj is the Associate Editor of ‘Nakkheeran’. During the period from 01.04.2003 to 20.06.2003, the appellants had published certain articles in their magazine in relation to the first and the second respondents. The first respondent Selvi.J.Jayalalitha is the Chief Minister of the State of Tamil Nadu. She is also the General Secretary of the political party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (A.I.A.D.M.K.). The second respondent Tmt.N. Sassikala is a close friend of the first respondent and is interested in the welfare of the first respondent. In all 24 publications made in 21 issues of ‘Nakkheeran’ are the subject matter of the present proceedings.

2. The respondents filed a suit for injunction and damages against the appellants in their capacity as Editor, Printer and Publisher and Associ