India, June 8 -- In a landmark legal victory that concludes a three-decade-long struggle, the Madras High Court has upheld a verdict directing Sun TV Network to pay Rs 10 lakh in damages to veteran actress R. Sukanya. The case stems from a 1996 interview featuring the notorious forest brigand Veerappan, which contained scandalous and unverified allegations against the actress. The High Court's ruling serves as a stern reminder to media houses regarding their editorial responsibilities and the legal consequences of broadcasting defamatory content without due diligence.

The controversy originated from an episode of the programme Nerukku Ner ("Face to Face"), aired on April 17, 1996, in which journalist R.R. Gopal interviewed Veerappan. Dur...