Interim injunctions in defamation suits must balance free speech and reputation, requiring clear evidence of harm; mere allegations are insufficient for relief.

ORDER :

1. It is relevant to quote the sacred couplet No.144 of Thiruvalluvar:

2000 years ago, the famous saint Thiruvalluvar had stated in a sacred couplet about the extra marital relationship of a man beyond the marriage life with his wife and its consequences.

2. The applicant/plaintiff has filed the above suit for the following reliefs:

a) Permanent injunction restraining the 1st defendant, her men, agents, representatives or any persons claiming under or through her, from in any manner making, writing, uploading, printing, publishing, broadcasting, distributing, posting, circulating, or disseminating in any form of media, whether print, electronic, digital, internet, social media platforms or otherwise, any false, malicious or defamatory material, statements, videos, reels, captions, photographs, audio-visual content of communications disparaging the applicant's/plaintiff's personality rights, which directly or indirectly defame his character, personal life, professional standing or reputation in the hospitality industry, entertainment sector or the public domain, thereby causing him irreparable commercial loss and goodwill and reputation;

b) A mandatory injunction directing the 1st defendant to remove/delete the false, defamatory instagram post made in her Instagram profile published on 26.07.2025, 27.07.2025, 30.07.2025, 19.08.2025, 31.08.2025 and remove/delete any other material or statements aforesaid including tagging the name of the plaintiff in all online media including but not limied to X(twitter), Facebook, Telegram, Instagram.

Brief facts of the case of the Applicant is as follows:

3. The applicant/plaintiff is one of the directors in Madhampatty Thangavelu Hospitality Private Limited, which was incorporated on 30.08.2010, which deals with catering, and food services since 2010 under the brand name "MADHAMPATTY PAKASHALA" with sheer commitment towards their business, the company where the plaintiff was one of the directors, had grown to a greater extent and the plaintiff had taken part in business accomplishments. He has also ventured into the field of cinema and television. He had featured in a movie called Mehandi Circus in the year 2019 and thereafter another movie titled as Penguin and few other movies. He was also taking part in a popular TV reality show "Cooku with Comali" Season 5 (2024) where his culinary expertise won him appreciation in the said show.

4. These ventures have reinforced the standing of the applicant as not only a successful businessman but also a well-recognized public personality. The applicant's success story was featured in Vijay Television's Mudhal Vanakkam show as "Madhampatty Rangaraj's Secret of Success" on May, 2024. The applicant has received several awards and they were also conferred with Asia's Most Admired Hospitality Professional Award and had gathered huge reputation and goodwill across the country.

5. According to the applicant/plaintiff, the first respondent/first defendant had approached him as a professional costume designer during December, 2023, projecting that she was capable of assisting him with his costume designing requirements. The plaintiff had reposed trust in her and extended friendship in good faith without knowing the 1^st defendant’s ulterior motives. As days rolled on, the professional association