New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam against a Madras High Court order, which issued notice to him and his relatives in a case the court had initiated on its own over their discharge in a disproportionate assets case.
In August last year, the High Court issued notice to Panneerselvam and some of his relatives on a criminal revision case, which it had initiated on its own.
A bench led by Justice Hrishikesh Roy said that the High Court had passed a very reasoned order while declining to interfere with it. The bench said, “We may, however, observe that the observations made by the judge in the impugned order are to be considered only for the purpose of the notice order". "Those observations should have no bearing in deciding the criminal revision finally," said the bench.
The High Court had said that this is a case where a political personage has maneuvered the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), the Tamil Nadu government and the court to ensure that the trial against him was derailed.
The court directed Paneerselvam, his wife Vijayalakshmi (since deceased), his son Ravindranathkumar, his brothers O Raja and O Balamurugan and their wives to remain present before it for the hearing. The trial court had discharged them in the DA case in 2012.
The DVAC had alleged that Paneerselvam amassed assets in his name and those of his relatives that were 374 times disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as the Chief Minister for four months and subsequently as Revenue minister from 2001 to 2006.
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