Udupi: Responding to the defamation suit threatened by State Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports Pramod Madhwaraj, against him, T J Abraham, social activist said, “I am happy to receive Pramod Madhwaraj’s legal notice. Let him file the defamation suit against me”.
Last week, T.J. Abraham had leveled allegations of fraud against the minister following which Madhwaraj warned that he would file a Rs 10 crore defamation suit if he did not receive an apology in three days’ time.
Two days after Madhwaraj issued his warning, T.J. Abraham held a press meet at the Udupi Press Club on March 24 and said,”Pramod Madhwaraj has given me three days to tender an apology or face a Rs. 10 crore defamation case. He said there are two provisions quoted for committing offence under Section 500 and 501 of IPC in the legal notice. It has been two days since I received the notice from Pramod Madhwaraj. Today, I am here in front of the media to say that I welcome his legal notice. I have accepted the challenge by Pramod and will let him file the case as soon as possible”.
Abraham challenged the minister to file the defamation suit within 30 days, failing which he would file a counter defamation suit.
Abraham had recently alleged that the minister had mortgaged three acres and eight cents of land in Uppoor village for Rs. 1.1 crore in his filed affidavit and that he obtained a loan of Rs. 193 crore from Syndicate Bank, Malpe Branch. He stated that the loan taken by the minister was disproportionate to the value of the mortgaged land. “As per the documents given to Lokayukta in 2015/16 , Madhwaraj’s family wealth comes up to Rs 40,27,41,987 crore. How it is possible to get an loan of Rs. 193 crore,” he asked.
