ORDER :

1. While the writ petition has been filed against the order passed by the respondent impounding the passport of the petitioner, the criminal original petition has been filed to set aside the order passed by the learned Principal Sessions Court in and by which the order of the Magistrate directing impounding of the writ petitioner's passport has been set at naught.

2. As the facts surrounding the filing of both the petitions are intertwined, on the request made by the learned counsel on either side and on the directions of the Hon'ble Chief Justice, both the matters are listed today before this Court for hearing.

3. For the purpose of convenience, the petitioner in the writ petition will be referred to as the first party and the petitioner in the criminal original petition will be referred to as the second party. The facts leading to the filing of the above petitions before this Court, is briefly stated thus :-

A private complaint u/s 200 Cr.P.C. was lodged against the 1st party by the 2nd party before the IX Metropolitan Magistrate, Saidapet, Chennai, alleging that the posts in the social media by the 1st party against the 2nd party has tarnished the image of the 2nd party in t