2 months ago
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The Madras High Court connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026) quashed a transgression lawsuit pending against renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and erstwhile manager of Kalakshetra Foundation Leela Samson (74) aft she settled the substance by paying ₹8 lakh to the complainant, a pistillate creation intern, whom she had described arsenic the “mistress” of a antheral module subordinate successful her Facebook post.
Justice M. Nirmal Kumar allowed the quash petition filed by Ms. Samson aft she and besides the complainant appeared earlier the tribunal and stated that the substance had been resolved amicably betwixt them. The complainant said, she was not funny successful pursuing the transgression lawsuit booked nether Section 509 (insult to the modesty of a woman) of Indian Penal Code.
“Taking into information that the petitioner and the 2nd responsive person resolved their issue, and since the offence nether Section 509 IPC is compoundable successful nature, this court, successful workout of its jurisdiction nether Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, is inclined to quash the proceedings,” the justice wrote portion quashing the lawsuit pending astatine the XIII Metropolitan Magistrate tribunal successful Saidapet, Chennai.
The justice was told that Ms. Samson had enactment retired the objectionable Facebook station connected December 23, 2022. Aggrieved implicit the upheal that it had created among societal circles, the creation intern lodged a constabulary ailment connected March 23, 2023 stating that the derogatory and disparaging post, demeaning the narration that she had with her mentor, had caused immense trauma to her successful idiosyncratic arsenic good arsenic world life.
The complainant besides obtained a absorption from a Metropolitan Magistrate tribunal to registry a First Information Report (FIR) and hence the All Women Police successful Adyar booked the lawsuit against Ms. Samson connected July 20, 2023. They besides completed the probe by examining a fig of witnesses and filed a complaint expanse against her earlier the IX Metropolitan Magistrate tribunal successful Saidapet connected November 17, 2023.
In the meantime, the complainant had besides filed a civilian suit against Ms. Samson earlier the Chennai metropolis civilian court. which had referred the contented for mediation. The mediation succeeded with some parties signing a colony statement connected April 15, 2025. As per the presumption of the agreement, the erstwhile manager of Kalakshetra Foundation had agreed to explicit regret successful nationalist done a station connected her Facebook page.
Accordingly, the Facebook station expressing regret was made disposable connected her leafage betwixt June 16, 2025 and September 16, 2025. Further, she agreed to wage ₹4 lakh to the complainant earlier withdrawing the civilian suit and different ₹4 lakh earlier quashing of the transgression case. Both the payments were made connected clip and hence the complainant filed an affidavit earlier the High Court expressing unwillingness to prosecute the lawsuit immoderate further.
