A month after being accused of misappropriation of party funds, former president of Trichy district Congress committee G Jerome Arockiaraj has filed a defamation suit against a functionary who raised the allegation and a Tamil news channel which reported on the same. Arockiaraj has sought an explanation and compensation of 10 lakh from both parties for causing him "mental agony".

Arockiaraj, through his counsel S Somuraj, filed a case against former district president M Saravanan and a private Tamil news channel at the Trichy district court on June 3. The petition said Saravanan had made the allegations to defame Arockiaraj in the society. "The plaintiff (Arockiaraj) was very much annoyed and suffered mental agony and unnecessary sufferings at the hand of the defendants. He is a wealthy man and it is not necessary for him to indulge in all those activities," read the petition.