Chennai, Sep 17 (NationPress) A catering enterprise has brought to the attention of the Madras High Court that it has incurred a loss of Rs 12 crore due to the cancellation of catering and food service contracts over the past 15 days. This situation allegedly stems from “derogatory” social media posts made by costume designer Joy Crizildaa. The firm, Madhampatty Thangavelu Hospitality Private Limited, which operates under the renowned brand Madhampatty Pakashala, asserts that its reputation has been significantly damaged following Crizildaa's posts, who claims to be married to one of the firm's directors, Madhampatty Rangaraj.

During the court proceedings, Justice N. Senthilkumar heard arguments from senior counsel P.S. Raman, along with Vijayan Subramanian, who highlighted that the hashtags utilized in Crizildaa's posts have been redirecting potential customers—who are searching for the company’s menu on social media—towards defamatory content.

“The reputational damage is substantial, leading customers to retract their contracts,” Raman stated, while seeking an injunction to prevent the designer from using these hashtags.

Challenging the request, senior counsel S. Prabakaran, representing Crizildaa, questioned the legitimacy of the company's claimed losses totaling Rs 12 crore. He noted that such a claim was not included in the initial complaint and was only presented verbally during the session.

“If they assert such losses, it should be documented,” he argued. Defending his client’s postings, he emphasized that her right to free speech and expression must be upheld. He also referenced her personal distress, quoting her statement: “I have been deceived after marriage. I am now in an advanced stage of pregnancy. My life has been devastated.” Furthermore, he raised concerns regarding the company’s apparent attempts to protect its director, pointing out that Crizildaa had lodged a police complaint against Rangaraj on August 29.

“Shortly thereafter, the company rushed to court with a trademark lawsuit, raising questions about the validity of their case,” he contended.

The court noted that Rangaraj had initiated a separate lawsuit aimed at safeguarding his personality rights.

Justice Senthilkumar directed that the Registry number Rangaraj's suit if all documentation is correct, and to list it alongside the company’s case on September 24.

The judge indicated that the request for an interim injunction regarding the use of hashtags would be evaluated in the next hearing.