Actress Sukanya secures a massive legal victory against Sun TV—three decades after infamous Veerappan interview
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Actress Sukanya secures a massive legal victory against Sun TV—three decades after infamous Veerappan interview")
File image of R Sukanya
After three decades, Sukanya's long legal battle against Sun TV Network has come to an end with the Madras High Court ordering the broadcasting network to pay Rs 10 lakh to the actress.
Actress R Sukanya has achieved significant legal success in a prolonged defamation lawsuit associated with the broadcast of forest brigand Veerappan’s contentious 1996 interview. Nearly thirty years after the interview was first shown by the Sun TV Network, the Madras High Court affirmed a lower court’s decision mandating the channel to pay a significant sum in damages to the actress. The court noted that the broadcaster failed to verify and eliminate defamatory statements made against Sukanya. The ruling concluded a legal battle that began in 1996 and traversed various courts.
R Sukanya wins defamation case
Actor R Sukanya won a defamation case that arose from the airing of forest brigand Veerappan's 1996 interview on Sun TV network. The Madras High Court upheld a decision instructing Sun TV Network to compensate the actor with Rs 10 lakh in damages.
The court remarked that the broadcaster could edit the interview, which it failed to do, thus leading to a defamation case. In the interview, Veerappan had made defamatory claims against Sukanya. The court observed that the network should have verified the claims before broadcasting.
The court confirmed the damages award, holding the channel accountable for insufficient editorial oversight, thus concluding the lengthy legal conflict.
Details about the R Sukanya defamation case
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The case was filed after a 1996 interview with the notorious forest brigand was aired on Sun TV. In the interview, the brigand made sensational claims about actor R Sukanya, alleging her involvement in a relationship with the son of a former Prime Minister and implying that the supposed relationship had political ramifications.
Sukanya asserted that the allegations were completely unfounded and had severely harmed her personal and professional reputation. She had initiated a civil defamation lawsuit against Sun TV, journalist Nakheeran R Gopal, who conducted the interview and Veerappan, seeking Rs 10 lakh in damages.
The case centred on whether the broadcaster should be held accountable for airing the allegations despite having editorial control over the content.
Who is R Sukanya?
A well-known Tamil film actress R Sukanya, is also an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, singer, composer, and dubbing artist. She made her debut with Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu in 1991 and gained prominence through notable performances in films such as Mahanadhi and Indian, where she appeared alongside Kamal Haasan.
In a career spanning over three decades, Sukanya has featured in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.
